The Los Angeles Lakers announced they officially signed Colin Castleton and D’Moi Hodge to two-way contracts on Monday.
Castleton started all 26 games in his final season at the University of Florida this past year, producing 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.0 blocks per game. The center led the SEC in blocked shots and was third in the NCAA overall.
Hodge spent his final year of eligibility at the University of Missouri where he averaged 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 steals. Hodge led the SEC with 91 total steals and steals per game. Before playing at Missouri, Hodge spent time at Cleveland State University and State College of Florida.
Both Castleton and Hodge are two-way forces that seem like perfect fits for the identity of the Lakers roster. Darvin Ham preaches toughness and a defensive mindset, traits that Castleton and Hodge both possess in spades.
Los Angeles is fortunate to have Castleton on a two-way as the big man decided to go undrafted in order to land with the franchise. Had he not chosen to do that, there’s a very good chance he would’ve been selected in the second round.
Meanwhile, Hodge went undrafted largely due to his size and age at the guard position. Teams are generally put off by older prospects, but when watching Hodge’s college tape there are several things that would translate well to the NBA level.
The two players made their professional debuts at the California Classic against the Miami Heat where they both came off the bench. Castleton had a strong offensive night as he was perfect 5-of-5 from the field for 11 points, though he did struggle with fouls as he picked up six in under 16 minutes. On the other side, Hodge scored seven points on 3-of-6 shooting including going one 1-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Castleton and Hodge have clearly defined skillsets that make it easy to understand why the Lakers wanted them on two-ways. While they won’t likely see any time with the parent team during the 2023-24 season, they’ll have plenty of reps in the G League with South Bay.
Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis discuss what Kobe Bryant meant to them growing up
Castleton and Hodge are interesting prospects, but more eyes are on Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, who L.A. drafted No. 17 and No. 40, respectively. The two guards haven’t been with the franchise long, but already are endearing themselves to the fanbase when they discussed what Kobe Bryant meant to them individually.
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