Lakers offseason report card: Revisiting 2024 NBA Draft one month later

Undrafted Signing: Blake Hinson, F, Pittsburgh Panthers

After the selection of Dalton Knecht, an argument could be made that no offseason move has been more intriguing than the signing of Blake Hinson to a two-way contract. The former Pittsburgh Panthers star is one of the best shooters in this class, and is joining a team that struggles from distance.

As far as two-way contract signings are concerned, it doesn't get much better than addressing a team need with a player whose primary skill projects to be of an NBA caliber.

It's certainly possible that Hinson will struggle to sufficiently build his skill set around his potentially elite jump shot. He could struggle on the defensive end of the floor, fail to play at an NBA-caliber level with the ball in his hands, or even struggle to get himself open.

Teams should be celebrated for addressing their needs, however, and that's exactly what the Lakers did with this no-risk, high-reward signing.

Hinson stands at just under 6'6" without shoes and has a 6'10.25" wingspan. He shot 38.0 percent from beyond the arc in 2022-23 and 42.1 percent in 2023-24, attempting at least 255 three-point field goal attempts and earning All-ACC honors in both seasons.

Hinson will turn 25 in December, which is why he went undrafted, but adding a sharpshooting wing on a contract that doesn't even count against the salary cap is an absolute win.