The 2025 NBA Draft picture has become clearer with this week’s stunning lottery results. Though most eyes will be on the top picks and first-round selections, Lakers fans (barring a trade) will have to wait until June 26 to hear who Rob Pelinka and the front office will add with the 55th overall pick.
The experts have some notable selections in the most recent mock drafts. Here are four prospects the Lakers are tied to and how they could fit with the purple and gold.
2025 NBA Draft: 4 Prospects Mocked to Lakers at No. 55
Bleacher Report: Vladislav Goldin (7’1”, C, Michigan)
At 7’1” and 250 pounds with decent floor-spacing ability, Vladislav Goldin seems like an ideal fit for the Lakers on both ends. The 23-year-old averaged 16.6 points (60.7% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 73.1% FT), 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 assists for the Wolverines. He did most of his scoring in the paint, only attempting threes by his senior year, but showed an ability to finish through contact, either on the roll or in the post. Additionally, he displayed a knack for crashing the offensive glass, tallying two offensive rebounds per game in each of the last four seasons—numbers that JJ Redick and the Lakers would love. Goldin is also a strong defender, tallying 51 blocks this season and 194 over his five-year career.
Despite being an older rookie, Goldin would help the team’s rebounding and defense tremendously, and his willingness to take threes—a must in today’s game—is an added bonus for bigs like him.
The Athletic: Izan Almansa (6’10”, PF, Australia)
Izan Almansa is another name to watch, mocked to the Lakers by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie. A 19-year-old forward currently playing in Australia, Almansa averaged 6.8 points (51% FG) and 3.9 rebounds for the NBL’s Perth Wildcats, the same team that prepped last year’s second overall pick, Alex Sarr. He projects as a strong rebounder and hustler who scores well in the paint and makes plays out of the post. He’s also a good finisher in transition and can occasionally nail catch-and-shoot threes. O’Connor even noted Almansa can be a “potential short-roll weapon if paired with the right point guard” (cough cough Luka Doncic).
Almansa shows plenty of promise as a potential second-round pick and would benefit under the Lakers’ development. However, they should be wary of his limitations as a shooter and defender, with the latter making his small-ball center potential slim to none. Still, the Lakers could always use more frontcourt help, and perhaps Almansa can bring more size and energy there.
Yahoo! Sports: RJ Luis (6’7”, SF, St. John’s)
Aside from centers, the Lakers have also made wing depth a priority this offseason—notable considering Dorian Finney-Smith’s player option and Rui Hachimura’s status in trade rumors. As such, St. John’s forward RJ Luis could be a solid option, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor. In his second season under Rick Pitino after transferring from UMass Amherst, the junior averaged 18.2 points (43.9% FG, 33.6% 3PT, 74.7% FT), 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
O’Connor described Luis as a tone-setter on defense “with his versatility and intensity,” also noting how he can attack downhill on offense. Other scouting reports highlighted similar traits while mentioning his solid mid-range game as well. However, there are concerns over Luis’ inconsistent shooting and decision-making, with O’Connor pointing out he was benched in the Red Storm’s second-round loss for those reasons. Still, the Lakers would benefit from molding a 3-and-D prospect into a rotation player under Redick, and Luis, like others mentioned here, appears to be a decent bet at 55.
ESPN: Dink Pate (6’8”, SG/SF, Mexico City)
Highly regarded by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, G League guard Dink Pate turned heads as the youngest US-born player to turn pro last season, playing with the aforementioned Izan Almansa in the G League Ignite’s final year. Continuing his career in Mexico City, the Dallas native started all 34 games he played, averaging 10.1 points (40.7% FG, 25.8% 3PT, 58.1% FT), 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Pate is a tall guard who can score from all three levels and make plays for others, particularly in transition. A recent clip from the NBA Draft Combine showed him throwing down an outlet pass from the edge of the restricted area.
Pate’s size, versatility and experience make him an intriguing potential pick for the Lakers, someone they could develop to play at the two or three later on. But similar to Luis, they may have to work with him on his shot selection and defense, making him a wildcard of a second-round prospect.
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