With the top of the 2025 NBA Draft order set, many mock drafts are starting to come out. While much of the focus will be on lottery picks, the Los Angeles Lakers wait until pick No. 55 to make their first selection.
That late in the draft, the Lakers are unlikely to find a player who can make an impact as a rookie. However, they could bet on somebody with some upside.
It’s no secret that the Lakers need size. They may still be playing if they had better center play this season. They can’t go into the 2025-26 season with Jaxson Hayes starting
They aren’t going to find their starting center in the second round, but they could add a big body for depth purposes. In Jonathan Wasserman’s latest NBA mock draft for Bleacher Report, he projects the Lakers to select Australian center Rocco Zikarsky with the 55th pick.
“The draft process will be important for Rocco Zikarsky after an unproductive season that ended early due to injury,” Wasserman wrote. “A mobile, 7’2″ 18-year-old with pro experience may sway some teams to gamble and stay patient. The last few drafts have shown teams interested in adding Zikarsky’s kind of size in the middle, even if they lack a modernized skill set.”
Size is not an issue for Zikarsky. He’s one of the biggest players in the draft and is still very young. If he could further develop his skill set, he could be an intriguing player.
NBA Draft Room praised Zikarsky’s ability to utilize his superior size.
“Rocco is a massive center built in the Mark Eaton/Walker Kessler mold. He’s a dominant force in the paint, protecting the rim and rebounding the heck out of the ball,” NBA Draft Room wrote.
He does a good job of body-ing up and holding his own in the paint and has good shot blocking instincts. He shows good recognition and can come off his man and block shots on the weak side. His immense height and long arms allow him to block and alter shots without needing to get off the ground.”
However, Zikarsky is very limited on offensive skill set and his ability on defense is concerning.
“At this point he’s not much of a jump shooter but that could come in time. Has decent passing instincts, can operate in the high post and is pretty good with the ball in his hands,” NBA Draft Room wrote.
His biggest challenge at the NBA level will be guarding in space and keeping up with the pace of play. He’s got decent mobility but isn’t exactly a nimble or quick athlete.
The Lakers are well-aware how crippling their lack of a center was in the playoffs. They can’t go into the playoffs next year with subpar play at the position. There are too many good bigs in the Western Conference right now.
The hope was that Luka Doncic and LeBron James would be dominant enough to overcome the lack of a center, but that wasn’t the case. The team’s biggest job this offseason is to find a more stable option at the position.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
