An area of need for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is the center position to alleviate some pressure off of Anthony Davis. With no moves made up to this point, perhaps L.A. turns to someone in house to strengthen up their frontcourt, like Colin Castleton.
After seeing limited time in his rookie season while on a two-way contract, Castleton could earn himself a bigger opportunity with Summer League underway and a new head coach in JJ Redick. As free agency begins to wind down, there are not many quality options at center, so this is a chance for him to prove he is ready for an increased role.
And it looks like L.A. at the very least wants to keep Castleton around their development system, re-signing him to another two-way deal, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed Colin Castleton to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshype. He appeared in 16 games for the Lakers last season. pic.twitter.com/YgUEscLH8x
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 6, 2024
This signing means that Castleton fills the Lakers’ third and final two-way spot alongside rookies Blake Hinson and Armel Traore. All things considered, the former Florida Gator has shown that he is a capable passer and possesses the fundamental skills to succeed as a big.
When it comes to potentially backing up Davis, L.A. is searching for someone who can hold the fort down for 10 to 15 minutes a night. Ideally, the Lakers would like for a bruiser as a backup to hang with more physical centers, which could become a drawback to playing Castleton.
Nonetheless, he is experienced and has a chance to showcase what he has been working on during his time with South Bay. The door is open for Castleton and it is up to him to at least create a training camp battle between Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes.
Colin Castleton spent offseason working on 3-point shooting
Three-point shooting is becoming more prevalent with each season that passes, especially when it comes to centers as teams shift away from back-to-the-basket bigs. In Castleton’s case, he was an interior presence who did his work inside the paint.
However, it seems that Castleton is willing to add to his game to complement the NBA playstyle, specifically with head coach Redick, who wants to shoot more 3s. On that note, the 24-year-old revealed that he has been working on his 3-point shot this offseason and hopes to put it on display during Summer League.
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