2025 Lakers draft prospects: Clifford Omoruyi

Yahoo

4 hours ago

The Los Angeles Lakers need help at the center position — badly. They will look to the trade market and free agency for at least one player who could plug that hole, but there is also a chance they find a contributor in the NBA draft later this month.
They will only have the No. 55 pick, and while one cannot necessarily expect someone who is drafted so low to become a viable rotation player, there are always exceptions to that rule. The Lakers, in particular, have found their share of diamonds in the rough in the second round of the draft.
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Reportedly, Clifford Omoruyi, a center who spent this past season at the University of Alabama, had a workout scheduled with the Lakers. He's a bouncy 6-foot-11 center with the type of outstanding athleticism and basic abilities they want and need in a big man.
He weighs 250 pounds and has an impressive 7-foot-6 wingspan, which allows him to disrupt opposing offenses. He's a very adept rim protector, and while his production in terms of blocked shots fell this past season, he averaged 1.7 blocks in 24.4 minutes a game during his five seasons in the NCAA.
The Nigerian native, who moved to New Jersey at the age of 14, spent his first four years at Rutgers University before transferring to Alabama. He isn't much of an offensive threat, but he was able to average double figures in scoring during his last three years at Rutgers because of his ability to convert lob passes into layups and dunks. He also runs the floor very well on the fast break and hustles to get easy baskets in transition.
Omoruyi is also a good rebounder and a capable interior defender who has a career NCAA average of 7.4 rebounds a game. He plays with plenty of energy, and he's still considered somewhat raw, although some feel he may have the ability to develop a respectable mid-range offensive game.
He may not be ready to contribute a lot in the NBA as a rookie, but if he's available at No. 55, one has to assume the Lakers will at least consider taking him.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: 2025 Lakers draft prospects: Clifford Omoruyi