It became clear during the Lakers‘ loss to the Timberwolves in the 2025 NBA playoffs that they desperately needed size and rim protection. The Purple and Gold is expected to address those roster concerns via free agency, but could also do so during the 2025 NBA Draft.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has projected the Lakers to select 7-foot-3 Australian center Rocco Zikarsky with the 55th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“The draft process will be important for Rocco Zikarsky after an unproductive season that ended early due to injury,” wrote Wasserman.
“A mobile, 7’2″ 18-year-old with pro experience may sway some teams to gamble and stay patient. The last few drafts have shown teams interested in adding Zikarsky’s kind of size in the middle, even if they lack a modernized skill set.”
Wasserman further compared Zikarsky’s skill set to Donovan Clingan, the Blazers big man who averaged 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks as a rookie. The 7-foot-2 Connecticut native also showed some range from outside, draining 14 threes from 49 attempts across his 67 games (including 37 starts).
An Intriguing Prospect
Zikarsky played for the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) before declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. He was earlier projected to be a first-round pick, or even a lottery selection, but his stock dipped after his second season.
In his second year with the Bullets, Zikarsky averaged 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game — numbers that don’t jump out of the window. However, he produced those numbers in just 11.8 minutes per game before a knee injury ended his season.
Despite his lackluster sophomore season, Zikarsky is an interesting prospect who could be developed into the Lakers’ long-term center.
The Lakers Need Size
In free agency, the Lakers could pursue the likes of Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Myles Turner, Naz Reid, Steven Adams, Mortiz Wagner, Al Horford, Kevon Looney and Andre Drummond and Dwight Powell.
They’ve also been linked to Nets center Nic Claxton, who could be made available via trade in the offseason. According to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, the Lakers have a clear idea of what they’re looking for in their next starting center.
In his season-ending press conference, Pelinka laid out the center archetype he and Redick and looking for ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
“In terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, a lob threat, and someone that can protect the interior defensively,” he said, via Yahoo Sports.
“I think those would be keys. But there are multiple types of centers that could be effective in the league. There’s also spread centers that can protect the rim, we’ll look at those as well. So I wouldn’t want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man.”
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, will also be a free agent in 2025, but the Lakers may not be able to afford him. According to insiders, a lot of their roster maneuvering could depend on the contract LeBron James signs.
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