The Los Angeles Lakers are about to begin what could turn out to be a very consequential offseason. They’re projected to have tens of millions of dollars of salary cap space, as well as two future first-round draft picks to offer in a trade, and those resources could allow them to start to truly build a championship-caliber team around Luka Doncic.
Los Angeles will also have the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft. They have been starting to work out prospects in this year’s draft class, including Alex Karaban, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward from the University of Connecticut.
Karaban isn’t that athletic (his vertical leap was reportedly recorded at just 33 inches) and his wingspan is a modest 6-foot-11. However, he has a reputation for being a fine shooter. In four years with the Huskies (he redshirted as a freshman), he shot 37.4% from 3-point range and 46.8% overall while averaging 12.5 points and five rebounds a game.
The Huskies won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2024 and 2025 with Karaban contributing as a starter. He had originally declared for the draft two years ago, but he changed his mind and remained at Storrs for two more years.
Karaban is a strong standstill shooter, as well as a reliable shooter off of movement. Despite his lack of hops, he averaged one block a game during his four years at the University of Connecticut, including 1.5 blocks a game during the 2024-25 campaign. He is also a good connective passer who can keep a possession going.
Many feel he could be a late second-round draft pick. While the Lakers don’t have a second-round selection this year, they have a history of buying such picks, and Karaban is a player who could help them off the bench if he pans out.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: 2026 Lakers draft prospects: Alex Karaban