Indiana's Oumar Ballo (11) dunks during the Indiana versus Ohio State men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Interested In Rim Protector

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Ben Stinar | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 4:34 PM ET

Oumar Ballo played his final season of college basketball at Indiana University.

He also played for Gonzaga and Arizona over five total NCAA seasons.

The 22-year-old finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 13.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per contest while shooting 62.3% from the field in 31 games.

According to HoopsHype, Ballo has worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25.

Via LakersMuse (on June 6): "Projected 2nd round pick Oumar Ballo is having a pre-draft workout with the Lakers per his personal IG"

Projected 2nd round pick Oumar Ballo is having a pre-draft workout with the Lakers per his personal IG pic.twitter.com/RZUOOCtDx2
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) June 6, 2025

Ballo finished his college career with averages of 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per contest while shooting 64.0% from the field in 163 games.

Via Tony Adragna (on November 17, 2024): "Small sample size, yes - but Oumar Ballo has been very good protecting the rim for #iubb thus far. His block % is currently at 12.2%. Last season, he was at 5% and the year before, 4.8%. For context, TJD was at 9% in 2022-23 & Ware at 6.5% in 23-24."

Small sample size, yes - but Oumar Ballo has been very good protecting the rim for #iubb thus far. His block % is currently at 12.2%. Last season, he was at 5% and the year before, 4.8%. For context, TJD was at 9% in 2022-23 & Ware at 6.5% in 23-24.
— Tony Adragna (@CoachAdragna) November 18, 2024

The Lakers are in need of a center after the way their season came to an end.

Despite finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference, they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs (in five games).

In Game 5, the Lakers did not play a true center for the entire game.

The Lakers have one pick in the NBA Draft (55).

This article first appeared on Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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