Lakers News: Assessing Upside of All 3 of LA’s Two-Way Players
The Los Angeles Lakers may be able to pull off more free agency signings and blockbuster trades than most in part thanks to their massive market and history of winning as a franchise but when it comes to identifying talent in and out of the draft, they have the respect of the entire league.
Time and time again, LA's scouting department has been able to pinpoint gems late in the draft and also bring in undrafted free agents and they have blossomed. They had their fair share of lottery picks last decade but ever since LeBron James came in and wins started stacking up, they've made the most of their draft compensation.
LA will enter the 2023-2024 season with three two-way contract players in Colin Castleton, D'Moi Hodge and Alex Fudge... let's take a look at all of their upsides!
1. Colin Castleton
As of this publication, the Lakers have not added another big man this summer outside of Jaxson Hayes. GM Rob Pelinka made it clear that was their number one goal and they would like to get Anthony Davis as much help down low as possible.
Therefore, Colin Castleton will likely get the opportunity at some point during the year to suit up with the main squad and showcase his skills. He spent five years in college and entered LA's summer league extremely polished. They were able to run the offense through him at times and with a soft touch at the rim and smooth passes, he averaged about 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists over the span of seven games.
Castleton will have to improve on the defensive end and possibly extend his range if he wants to crack the main roster any time soon but I do think there's a world where he could see floor time with AD and work out of the high post.
2. D'Moi Hodge
Lakers fans have been in love with D'Moi Hodge ever since he confirmed that he studied Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's game to see how he combines his shooting with his on-ball defense. Hodge has an NBA-ready jumper as all his mechanics check out and his release is ultra-quick.
There is always room on NBA rosters for a two-way player that can hold his own on both ends and hit three's at a high clip. We'll have to see how Hodge starts off his career in the G-League and how his efficiency holds up over time.
Hodge caught the attention of most in summer league when he had a seven three-pointer performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. As long as he continues developing his game, he'll be in LA for some time.
3. Alex Fudge
This name is a little fresher than the other two due to Fudge just recently getting a two-way deal after the Lakers announced that they would be waiving Cole Swider.
Fudge did not exactly fill up the stat sheet during his own summer league stint with the purple and gold but looking how he was able to switch on defense and us this athleticism to get to the rim at will on certain possessions, LA loves his potential.
Fudge also has experience under his belt seeing that he played at both LSU and Florida.
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