The Los Angeles Lakers are about to begin what could turn out to be a very consequential offseason. They’re projected to have tens of millions of dollars of salary cap space, as well as two future first-round draft picks to offer in a trade, and those resources could allow them to start to truly build a championship-caliber team around Luka Doncic.
L.A.’s biggest roster need this offseason is arguably an upgrade at the center position, and the realistic options in free agency and the trade market aren’t appetizing. Therefore, it may have to take a serviceable center with its first-round draft pick this year, which is No. 25 overall, as well as look at prospective undrafted free agents. The Lakers have been starting to work out prospects in this year’s draft class, including Keba Keita, a center from Brigham Young University.
Keita isn’t exactly the kind of headline-making prospect that Cougars teammate AJ Dybantsa is. He isn’t an offensive threat (he averaged 6.3 points on 64.4% shooting in four years in the NCAA), but he’s a capable rebounder and shot-blocker. This past season, he registered 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.6 minutes a game as a senior.
At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Keita doesn’t exactly have the size one expects from an NBA center. But he reportedly has a wingspan of over seven feet and impressive leaping ability. He may go sometime later in the second round of the draft, or he could be had as an undrafted free agent. Perhaps the Lakers or another team could see some potential in him as a G League project.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: 2026 Lakers draft prospects: Keba Keita
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
