The Los Angeles Lakers are in desperate need of a center this offseason, and they're getting one in Bleacher Report's latest mock draft for 2025. The Lakers will only have the 55th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and they're predicted to select Australian Rocco Zikarsky with it.
"The draft process will be important for Rocco Zikarsky after an unproductive season that ended early due to injury. 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."
Zikarsky played for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL for the last two seasons. After his first season with the Bullets, the 18-year-old was touted as a first-round pick in 2025, but his stock has now dipped.
Zikarsky didn't quite take the leap that you'd have expected in 2024-25, averaging 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He didn't get a lot of playing time (11.8 minutes per game) and then saw his season end early due to a knee injury.
Despite things not going according to plan. Zikarsky is still an intruiging prospect. He is a great shot blocker and is also mobile enough to guard on the perimeter. He might not be making an instant impact for the Lakers or anyone else, but he could turn out to be a very solid center in a few years.
Zikarsky is present at the NBA Draft Combine, and he showed off his ridiculous standing reach there.
7-foot-4 Australian Rocco Zikarsky showing his outrageous 9'6 1/2 standing reach in the standing vertical jump test at the NBA draft combine pic.twitter.com/hyP9WZVTgX
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025
Zikarsky also displayed a solid shooting stroke at the combine, which suggests he could perhaps one day be a solid outside shooter in the NBA.
Rocco Zikarsky shooting on the move 3s at 7-foot-4 in the star shooting drill at the NBA draft combine pic.twitter.com/uxsOoiQWDd
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025
Bleacher Report compared Zikarsky to Donovan Clingan, whom the Portland Trail Blazers selected with the seventh pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Clingan averaged 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game as a rookie for the Trail Blazers.
Even if the Lakers do draft Zikarsky, you would expect them to acquire a center via free agency or trade this offseason. They need someone who can start and play big minutes next season itself.
The Lakers have been linked with plenty of centers lately, and one mock trade has them acquiring Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks. Injuries and limitations on offense would be slight concerns when it comes to Robinson, but they certainly could use his defense and rebounding.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha, meanwhile, has listed Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton as the best of the realistic targets. Like Robinson, Claxton would be a solid acquisition thanks to his defense and rebounding.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka will have a lot of options to choose from this offseason. Here's what Pelinka had to say about the type of center he will be looking for.
"In terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, a lob threat, and someone that can protect the interior defensively. I think those would be keys."
"But there are multiple types of centers that could be effective in the league. There's also spread centers that can protect the rim, we'll look at those as well. So I wouldn't want to limit the archetype, but we know we need a big man."
The Lakers do need a lob threat next to Luka Doncic and expect whoever they bring in to be one. They acquired Mark Williams at the deadline with the hopes of providing Doncic with that lob threat, but then had to rescind the trade due to medical concerns. One wonders what might have been had they decided to go through with it.
