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.Sign in
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Lebron Wire
2025 Lakers draft prospects: Clifford Omoruyi
Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire
Jun 9, 2025, 5:00 PM GMT+1
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.
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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
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NBC Sports
Legendary Mavericks coach Don Nelson bashes Luka Doncic trade
Kurt Helin
Jun 9, 2025, 3:51 PM GMT+1
OKLAHOMA CITY — Don Nelson was back on an NBA stage, and it was entertaining.
The Hall of Fame coach with the second-most wins in NBA history left his home in Maui to come to Oklahoma City and receive the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Nelson talked and joked about his innovative offenses, telling stories of playing for the Bill Russell Celtics, having Manute Bol shoot 3-pointers, and coaching Hall of Famers such as Dirk Nowitzki. Nelson talked about player loyalty.
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Which led to the former Mavericks coach joining the rest of Dallas in bashing the Luka Doncic trade.
“As a matter of fact, I want everybody to know I’m wearing Luka’s shoes, his new shoes from Nike, just got on the market. I’m wearing them in protest for the trade from Dallas,” Nelson said. “I think it was a tremendous mistake by the Dallas franchise to trade him, and I want everybody to know that.”
For Nelson, when you get a generational player on your team, you don’t trade that player away.
“Because I learned from the best. I played a year for Red Auerbach. I played under him for Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell,” Nelson said. “I had the opportunity on my way, because I always went to the games early to sit and talk with Red, philosophy. And his philosophy was when you have a great player, Bill Russell, [John] Havlicek, Sam Jones, you never lose that player. You keep him for a lifetime. You put his number up and you honor that player and that’s been my philosophy.
AdvertisementHe 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 OmoruyiOKLAHOMA CITY — Don Nelson was back on an NBA stage, and it was entertaining.
The Hall of Fame coach with the second-most wins in NBA history left his home in Maui to come to Oklahoma City and receive the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Nelson talked and joked about his innovative offenses, telling stories of playing for the Bill Russell Celtics, having Manute Bol shoot 3-pointers, and coaching Hall of Famers such as Dirk Nowitzki. Nelson talked about player loyalty.”If you look at the players I’ve had over the years, Dirk and [Sidney] Moncrief and all the rest of them that I’ve coached,… my philosophy was always to honor the great players, not trade them away, but to add pieces to that player and make him and your franchise the best that it could be.”
In Dallas, many fans are nodding their heads in agreement. At least they get a reset, thanks to the NBA Draft Lottery ping pong balls, which gave the Mavericks the chance to draft Cooper Flagg.
Nelson shared another amusing story about when the Mavericks — led by his son, Donnie Nelson, as general manager — drafted Dirk Nowitzki.
“I have to say in that draft, Paul Pierce was my favorite player,” the elder Nelson said. ‘We had Paul Pierce going top three. So we didn’t even consider that he would be there. Wouldn’t you believe that when No. 9 came up, Paul Pierce was there, and Dirk Nowitzki. I looked at Donnie and I said, ‘Oh s***, Paul Pierce is my favorite player. He’s going to be a star.’ And Donnie says, ‘Come on, Dad, you know what we’ve been doing for the last month.’ We were hiding him in Donnie’s basement so nobody else could interview him.”
