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In a strategic move following the 2023 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers have signed British Virgin Islands native, D'Moi Hodge, and Colin Castleton, as announced by ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
The Lakers, fresh off a strong season, continue to bolster their roster with talented players. The two new additions will reportedly join the Lakers on two-way contracts.
The NBA Draft ceremony, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday evening, brought 58 new players into the league amidst a flurry of trades. The conclusion of the draft opened the door for undrafted players to sign as free agents with NBA teams. The Lakers wasted no time in securing two promising players, Hodge and Castleton.
Hodge, a 24-year-old guard, is a former player from the University of Missouri. He has consistently demonstrated an impressive performance, averaging 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game in the previous season. In addition, Hodge's shooting prowess is beyond doubt, hitting 47.7% from the field and maintaining a 40.0% accuracy from the three-point range.
Meanwhile, Castleton, a 23-year-old center who played five college basketball seasons (two for Michigan and three for Florida), also joins the Lakers' roster. The towering player made significant strides last season, averaging 16.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game while maintaining a 50.0% shooting percentage from the field.
The Lakers have had a commendable run in the past season. They were the seventh seed in the Western Conference, yet managed to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, and the Memphis Grizzlies (second seed) and Golden State Warriors (2022 NBA Champions) in the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs. However, they fell to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals.
