The Los Angeles Lakers have a limited number of resources they can use to upgrade their team this summer, so they will need to make the absolute most of them. That includes the No. 55 pick in this month’s NBA draft, which is the only draft pick they have this year.
They have a dire need for at least one serviceable center, and if they do enough homework, perhaps they could find one in the draft, although such a player may take some time to develop.
According to his personal Instagram account, Oumar Ballo, a center who spent this past season at Indiana University and the previous three seasons at the University of Arizona, had a workout scheduled with the Lakers.
He stands seven feet tall and weighs 260 pounds, and he’s the type of big man who is hard to deal with near the rim. He’s a strong finisher close to the basket, and he’s a decent rebounder and defender who seems to have a strong motor.
He averaged 13.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game and made 62.3% of his field-goal attempts this past season, and his 7-foot-6 wingspan seems to give him the potential to be a solid rim protector. At age 22 and with five years of college experience, he could be a little more NBA-ready than some other prospects available at pick No. 55.
Ballo grew up idolizing Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal, and indeed, he is a throwback center, especially on offense.
He may not be the type of fleet-footed, bouncy modern-day center the Lakers want, but perhaps he’s worth some strong consideration.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: 2025 Lakers draft prospects: Oumar Ballo
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
