3 South Bay Lakers players who could make the NBA roster at some point

The 2024-25 season marks the beginning of an era in which the Los Angeles Lakers begin to place a greater emphasis on internal development. It's as significant a decision as any in the 2024 offseason, as head coach JJ Redick has made his priorities clear.

As Los Angeles implements changes that will alter the approach to its strategies at every level, few players expect to benefit more than G League players.

The Lakers have been a benchmark team in the search for diamonds in the rough in recent years. Perhaps most famously, they signed Alex Caruso after he starred in the G League and Austin Reaves as an undrafted free agent.

Redick hopes to create a system that allows for an even more symbiotic relationship between the G League and the NBA and could streamline the process of finding the next hidden gem.

The process to do so could begin sooner rather than later, as Los Angeles already has promising talent in the G League. The South Bay Lakers will host a number of compelling players on the NBA payroll, but there are also players signed specifically to the development team.

The question is: Who of those added to the G League roster could end up making it to the NBA and playing in Los Angeles?

The Lakers made the surprising decision to waive Summer League standout Colin Castleton after the 2024 preseason. This created an opportunity for another G League center to potentially earn NBA minutes.

With main roster depth an issue and Castleton no longer an option in the G League, Christian Koloko will have a chance to make a name for himself.

Koloko, 24, is a 7'0″, 230 pound center with a massive 7'5.25″ wingspan. It should come as no surprise, then, that he was previously hailed as one of the NBA's most promising shot blockers before a blood clot threatened his life and career and forced him to retire from basketball.

However, in the 2022-23 season, Koloko averaged 1.0 blocks in just 13.8 minutes per game, which equates to 2.6 blocks per 36 minutes.

Koloko still needs to hone his game offensively, but he is already a force to be reckoned with on the field. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged 1.4 offensive rebounds per game and 3.8 per 36 minutes – numbers that were inappropriate for a Lakers team that ranked last in offensive rebounding in the 2023-24 season. inevitably agreed.

It remains to be seen how the year-long absence from the NBA has affected Koloko, but the benefit is clear and should yield at least some level of playing time in 2024-25.

Quincy Olivari made a name for himself during a preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks. With Austin Reaves sidelined and limited minutes in the backfield, the undrafted rookie stepped up and led Los Angeles to victory.

Oliveri scored 11 points, five rebounds and two assists in just nine minutes and hit three three-point field goals, all made in the fourth quarter.

It was a remarkable way to confirm that the Lakers have found a promising talent to develop in the G League. Even before this appearance, however, it was clear that Olivari had the talent necessary to potentially secure a spot in an NBA rotation.

The former Rice Owls and Xavier Musketeers star is a bit of an enigma in some areas of the game, but if all else fails, his jump shot could earn him minutes.

The 23-year-old Olivari is a 1.95 meter tall guard who shines more as a scorer than as a moderator, which leads to a certain positional uncertainty. However, he is a strong rebounder, and the physical attributes are intriguing enough to believe he can be a good defender to take on bigger players in the NBA and G League.

After averaging 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 3.1 three-point field goals on .425/.409/.814 shooting during his final college season Olivari will have the opportunity to prove that he can translate his strengths into the G League – and possibly the NBA.

Big players who are willing to defend always have a chance to crack an NBA rotation. Armel Traore is something of a blank slate offensively, but as an athletic striker with immense size and length, there is obviously two-way potential.

With a height of 1.80 m and a weight of 100 kg as well as a wingspan of 2.10 m, Redick and his staff have all the prerequisites to help Traore have a long NBA career.

Traore is an effortless athlete who plays hard and smashes the boards. That alone should help him, as energetic players with unique physical attributes are typically viewed favorably by coaches looking to improve their defense.

Although he is only 21 years old, there is also every reason to be patient with Traore's development as he figures out who he is as an NBA player.

It's admittedly unlikely that Traore will be playing in the NBA in 2024-25 if the Lakers stay healthy, but there's long-term appeal here. If he can develop a reliable outside shot, he could become a legitimate 3-and-D player with the size to defend multiple positions.

There's a lot of potential to be discovered here and Traore should emerge in the NBA in the future if he develops the way he can.