Tag: Colin Castleton

2023 Lakers summer league player grades: Colin Castleton

A final look at Colin Castleton’s performance during NBA Summer League play for the Lakers this year.

The 2023 NBA Summer League is in the books, and it gave a number of players the opportunity to flash their potential and possibly earn a spot in the Association.

The Lakers had a mix of can’t-miss players, prospects looking to get playing time with Los Angeles and those fighting for a spot in the league.

Colin Castleton, an undrafted big man who played his college ball at the University of Michigan and the University of Florida, received a two-year deal from the Lakers right after last month’s draft. Not many people expected him to do well in summer league play, but he quickly proved he’s an intriguing prospect.

Colin Castleton on his mindset this summer heading into training camp

Undrafted big man Colin Castleton sounds like he’s focusing on his craft this summer ahead of the start of training camp for the Lakers.

Heading into this year’s NBA Summer League, much of the attention for the Los Angeles Lakers was centered on Jalen Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in last month’s draft, and incoming second-year wing Max Christie.

But as play began, big man Colin Castleton attracted attention by consistently showing off an interesting and useful collection of skills.

He averaged 13.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game while shooting 51% from the field during the main summer league in Las Vegas. Suddenly, the undrafted 6-foot-11 University of Florida product is looking like a possible candidate for one of the Lakers’ final two roster spots.

Castleton is on a two-way contract, and he sounds like he is focusing on his craft this summer before training camp starts (h/t Lakers Nation).

“Learning everyday. That’s the biggest thing for me, that’s my mindset. I haven’t really thought about too much into the future, I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Castleton said. “I was focused on killing summer league, and I feel like I did a good job there. Now I can focus on getting ready for training camp and put myself in the right mindset so I can have an opportunity later in the year. That’s my mindset.

“I’ll just go in there with the right approach, wanting to learn from the best players in the world. I’m going to soak up all the information they give me. But I feel like I’m definitely ready to play at this level so we’ll just see how everything falls out, but I’m definitely excited for training camp.

“My competitive spirit is something that drives me, so obviously I feel like I could see myself in that role at some point,” Castleton said. “But it’s not something I worry about or think about. I just let the process happen.

“I’m just working as hard as I can everyday and let the dominos fall the way they fall. Being able to focus on taking it one step at a time, doing what I needed to do in summer league, now getting prepared for training camp and then going from there. I’m just worried about working hard and getting better.”

The Lakers definitely need another viable rotation big man, and if Castleton is as good as his word, he could end up being just that for them this fall.

Former Gator Colin Castleton standing out during NBA Summer League

For The Win’s NBA staff writer Bryan Kalbrosky recently took a look at the top five players in this year’s summer league action.

Former Florida basketball standout Colin Castleton did not hear his name called during the draft back on June 22 but was still able to sign on with the Los Angeles Lakers on an undrafted free agent contract. It appears that the Lakers’ gamble on the ex-Gator was a good one, as the center has performed well during the NBA Summer League schedule.

For The Win’s NBA staff writer Bryan Kalbrosky recently took a look at the top five players in this year’s summer league action, which includes the UF alumnus. The big man has put up numbers similar to what he recorded during college, which bodes well for his future in the league.

After signing a two-way deal with the Lakers, undrafted free agent big man Colin Castleton looked outstanding during summer league.

He averaged 20.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per 40 minutes for Los Angeles. He was 8 of 11 (72.7%) as the roll man during ball screens, per Synergy, and 6 of 8 (75.0%) when cutting to the basket.

His blend of rim protection and offensive playmaking is hard to find.

Castleton is one of just three high-major players on record since 2008 to reach challenging thresholds for assist rate (15.0 percent) and block rate (9.0 percent) in the same season, via Bart Torvik.

He is also one of just three Division I men’s college basketball players on record with at least collegiate 140 assists, 140 blocks and fewer than 200 fouls.

He recorded at least six assists in more than half of his games during summer league for the Lakers.

19.8 percent of his passes led directly to a shot from a teammate at Florida last season. That ranked top-15 among all notable undrafted free agents who played in NBA 2K24 Summer League, per Stats Perform.

Castleton also set 0.13 dribble handoffs per touch last season, also via Stats Perform, which ranked top-15 among notable UDFA as well. These actions give him tremendous value as a connective piece for Los Angeles.

Castleton is just about 6-foot-11-inches in socks and his wingspan is nearly 7-foot-4-inches.

According to Stadium Speak, his closest physical comparisons include Chris Bosh and Mike Muscala.

He could potentially crack the rotation in the frontcourt for the Lakers if they become depleted by any unexpected injuries or if they do not make any more transactions to replenish their frontcourt depth.

The NBA Summer League continues on Monday night as the Houston Rockets take on the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the final game of the season, starting at 9 p.m. EDT.

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Three takeaways from Sunday’s Lakers vs. Clippers summer league game

Three players stood out in the Lakers’ final summer league game versus the Clippers on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers may not be participating in the NBA Summer League playoff game this year, but they finished the summer on a high note.

Despite being without Max Christie, their best player this summer, and No. 17 pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles fought hard for much of the contest. It fell behind by 11 in the first quarter, but the final three quarters were competitive, and this one was decided in the final seconds.

After the Clippers’ Matt Morgan hit a 3-pointer to tie the score with 1.5 seconds left, Keaton Wallace was called for a foul as the Lakers looked to inbound the ball. It resulted in a free throw by Cole Swider with 0.4 seconds left that provided the final margin in L.A.’s 104-103 win.

These three players stood out for the Lakers on Sunday.

Three takeaways from Sunday’s Lakers vs. Hornets summer league game

These three players stood out in the Lakers’ 93-75 win over the Hornets in the NBA Summer League on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ entry in the NBA Summer League earned its second straight win on Sunday when it notched a 93-75 victory over the Charlotte Hornets in a matinee contest.

The squad seems to be finding itself, both collectively and individually, after it lost both of its games in the California Classic on Monday and Wednesday. The Lakers have won both of their games thus far in the main summer league, and they have looked fairly impressive at times.

By now, a few of their players have established themselves as potential or even serious NBA prospects. These three players looked especially spry on Sunday afternoon.

Four takeaways from Wednesday’s Lakers vs. Spurs summer league game

The Lakers had four players do well in their second summer league game of 2023.

In their second game of this year’s California Classic, the Los Angeles Lakers fought hard for much of the contest, but they came up short to the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 109-99.

The Lakers fell behind early 20-10, but they responded to build a five-point lead near the end of the first quarter. Unfortunately, that was about as good as it got for them, as they got outrebounded by 15 and gave up 20 offensive rebounds, which led to 26 second-chance points for San Antonio.

Still, four players stood out for Los Angeles and could have some potential as far as making its big-league team this fall.

Lakers have signed Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge to two-way contracts

Just before they began summer league play, the Lakers signed two of their undrafted free agents to two-way contracts.

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In addition to Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, their two draft picks this year, the Los Angeles Lakers will take a look at a number of undrafted free agents.

Those free agents are taking part in summer league play over the next week and a half, and the team is hoping to find at least one gem within that group of prospects.

One of those prospects is Colin Castleton, a 6-foot-11 big man who averaged 16 points, 7.7 rebounds and three blocked shots a game for the University of Florida last season. The Lakers have a lack of true centers on their roster, and it would be very helpful if he emerged as someone who can play at the NBA level.

In addition, D’Moi Hodge emerged as a 3-point sniper last year while with the University of Missouri.

Los Angeles reportedly signed both Castleton and Hodge to two-way contracts on Monday just ahead of the team’s first summer league game.

The Lakers have had some success with undrafted free agents in the recent past, in particular with Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves.

Cole Swider is another undrafted free agent who made his way onto the team last year. He is its third and final player who is on a two-way contract.

The Lakers’ summer league schedule is set

Get ready to watch the Lakers’ youngsters in this year’s summer league, which starts on July 3.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have intriguing young players taking part in summer league play this year.

There is guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was selected with the No. 17 pick in Thursday’s draft, and forward Maxwell Lewis, the No. 40 selection. Los Angeles will have several undrafted free agents also taking part: guard D’Moi Hodge, forward Alex Fudge, big man Colin Castleton and guard Damion Baugh.

Two players who were rookies this past season will also play in the summer league: wing Max Christie and forward Cole Swider.

The Lakers’ schedule for summer league play in Las Vegas is set (all times are in Pacific Daylight Time).

In addition, the Lakers will play in two games as part of the California Classic prior to heading to Las Vegas. They will face the Miami Heat on July 3 at 3 p.m. PDT and the San Antonio Spurs two days later at 5 p.m. PDT.

The contest against the Spurs could allow Lakers fans to get a first look at 7-foot-2 Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick who has been described as a generational talent and the most hyped rookie since at least LeBron James.

Two former Gators sign with Los Angeles Lakers as UDFA

Two former Gators were scooped up by the Los Angeles Lakers organization after going undrafted.

Neither [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] nor [autotag]Alex Fudge[/autotag] heard their name called on Thursday night, June 22, as the 2023 NBA draft came and went, but both signed contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers by the end of the night.

Castleton is joining the storied franchise on a two-way contract, which is a guaranteed deal with an NBA franchise to play for its pro team and its G-League affiliate. Dan Woike of the LA Times reported the news first. Although any significant NBA  playing time is unlikely, Castleton can work his way up from the unofficial 16th or 17th spot on the roster.

Fudge is on an Exhibit 10 contract, which can turn into at two-way contact but must be done before the start of the regular season, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. He’ll have less job security than Castleton with the one-year deal not being guaranteed. Fudge can join the team for training camp and will make around $50,000 if he spends more than two months with the G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers.

Both forwards were key pieces of Florida’s starting lineup in 2022-23. Castleton, a fifth-year player who transferred from Michigan after one season, crossed the 1,000-point threshold as a Gator and was a three-time All-SEC forward. His final days in Gainesville were spent on the bench due to injury, though.

Fudge only spent one year at Florida after transferring from LSU. He broke into the starting lineup after injuries forced changes. As a scorer, there’s work to be done, but Fudge is a solid defensive player with incredible athleticism. He’ll put a few players on a poster in the G-League, assuming he gets the chance.

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Lakers sign three undrafted free agents following 2023 NBA draft

The Lakers have signed Colin Castleton, D’Moi Hodge and Alex Fudge to contracts after they went undrafted on Thursday.

The 2023 NBA draft is in the books, and the Los Angeles Lakers may have obtained at least one very useful player from this year’s crop.

With the No. 17 pick, they took guard Jalen Hood-Schifino out of Indiana University. He has legitimate height at 6 feet, 6 inches and a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and his defensive versatility, midrange game and passing ability give him the potential to eventually become a rotation player.

At No. 40, the Lakers selected Maxwell Lewis, a forward from Pepperdine University who has plenty of athleticism and some serious 3-and-D potential.

They also signed a couple of undrafted free agents once the draft concluded. Colin Castleton, a center from the University of Florida, joined the team on a two-way contract.

Castleton has legitimate size at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, and he can score inside and block shots. He averaged 16 points on 50% shooting, 7.7 rebounds and 3 blocks per game this past season for the Gators.

Also joining L.A. on a two-way contract is University of Missouri guard D’Moi Hodge, who has become a good 3-point shooter and also has defensive potential.

In addition, the team will take a look at 6-foot-8 forward Alex Fudge, who played college ball at Louisiana State University and the University of Florida.

Only time will tell if any of the three will turn into the Lakers’ latest undrafted diamond in the rough, a la Austin Reaves or Alex Caruso.