The Los Angeles Lakers know what they need from the offseason, and they are making incremental moves in that direction. Having made a massive splash last season by trading for Luka Doncic, now they need someone who can support Doncic as he takes over the ball-handling role for the storied franchise.
To fulfill this, they had already signed DeAndre Ayton as a starter and Jaxson Hayes with Christian Koloko as a backup. Now they have also signed Kylor Kelly, a 7’0 tall center from Oregon State, who has previously played for the Lakers in the G League.
According to reports, Kelly will be on an Exhibit 10 contract, which means he’ll join the Lakers for camp but then likely move on to the South Bay Lakers.
It is only a training camp deal, which means he will not automatically get a roster spot, but there could be an opening for him later in the season if the Lakers realize their other moves at the center position did not pan out as expected.
Kelly is a massive lob threat and an ideal partner for Doncic and his playing style. Last season, Kelly played a total of 11 games for the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans.
On average, he played 11.5 minutes per game, where he posted 3.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. Even though he’s not gotten a lot of playing time, he’s shown glimpses of what he could potentially become if developed the right way.
He’s shown defensive grit and a desire to create blocking opportunities. Despite playing just two seasons for OSU, he is the all-time leader in blocks and was named twice to the Pac-12 All-Defense team. The Lakers could definitely use him in their secondary rotation, where his rim protection could come in handy.
In his debut game for the Mavericks, he put the league on notice after scoring a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. That performance could have reignited the Lakers’ interest in Kelly, as they had already attempted to acquire him before.
Kelly has been around for a while now. He started playing in the G League for the Austin Spurs in the 2020-21 season. Then every season, he played for a new G League team, consistently showing improvement. Last season, he played for the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, after signing a similar deal with the Lakers initially.
Getting to play around 24.3 minutes per game, he showcased his scoring abilities, posting 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He attempted 7.6 field goals per game and made 5.1 out of them at a field goal percentage of 66.9%.
Kelly also understands his limitations and thus did not attempt any three-pointers, which is something that many centers are under scrutiny for in the league.
The former Oregon State center stands in a unique position. Yes, he has a history with the Lakers and played for them in different spots over the years. But he was also Luka Doncic’s teammate for a week or so before the former Mavericks star was traded to the Lakers.
Kelly’s father, Jeff Kelly, was also a collegiate basketball player who played for Boise State University. Even his mother, Shandel Howell, was also a hooper and wanted to play for Utah before she got cut.
Kelly once said that despite being born in a family of athletes, he was never forced into basketball, and it was always his passion to hoop and take his family’s legacy forward.
