It was easy to miss amid all the storylines from the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason, but they swapped out center prospects. William Kyle III is out. Rafael Castro is in. The undrafted big man now has two games to try and put the pressure on AK Okereke for a two-way roster spot.
The case for exchanging Okereke for Castro is pretty simple. There are a ton of bodies on the wings for the Lakers. The center spot, on the other hand, is an area of need for Los Angeles. That makes one of the two excess goods, while the other could see situational playing time in 2026-27.
Castro would need to embolden the Lakers to see them follow through on elevating him further than the training camp deal he is on. The most unsurprising path of where this could lead is him simply getting a spot with the Coachella Valley Lakers.
It would not be impossible to see Los Angeles tinker with the back end of this roster before the start of the season, though. Castro just needs to justify that type of decision.
Rafael Castro brings upside the Lakers could benefit from
Castro had a strong senior season at George Washington. The 6-foot-10 big man posted 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
His mobility on the defensive end is a standout of his game. Offensively, Castro should also be capable of finishing plays when playing off playmakers of Luka Doncic's or Austin Reaves' caliber.
Naturally, he is not some perfect prospect by any means. If that was the case, Castro would have gone in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. The point is there are workable tools that could make him an asset to the Lakers in a best-case scenario.
For the nights when Walker Kessler, or anyone else of note, is forced to miss time, having Castro on a two-way could given the Lakers an added option for center minutes. There is intrigue with that idea.
AK Okereke hasn't done enough to solidify his two-way spot with the Lakers
Okereke has failed to make an overwhelming impression since joining the Lakers. His performances from Summer League and preseason have been mostly forgettable. That does not bode well for his long-term security.
Chris Mañon has impressed consistently with his defense while the Lakers wait on the offense to fully come around. Arthur Kaluma's hot shooting at Las Vegas Summer League gave Los Angeles enough reason to elevate him to a two-way. Most pencil in Okereke as number three among that group.
That gives Castro just enough room to make his case on why having the extra center depth is more beneficial. Seeing what both have to offer in the final two preseason games against the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets should help the Lakers make that call.
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