The Los Angeles Lakers have a strong recent history of developing undrafted prospects, with Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves the most glaring examples. Many times, in the 2024-25 season, Reaves was relied on as the primary or second scoring option for the Lakers. This, while Caruso was playing an important role for another franchise that would ultimately lead them to this year's championship.
All of this leaves reason to pay special attention to the pieces Los Angeles opts to bring in after the draft.
With the draft now officially in the books, the Lakers signed undrafted free agent Eric Dixon on a two-way contract.
Dixon was a walking bucket in college and shot an impressive number from three-point range. Having this option to develop in the lower levels while also giving Dixon a shot to contribute to the back of the Los Angeles rotation is a great decision for a franchise desperate to improve its depth. While the majority of these signings don't work out with any noteworthy results, the Lakers have been a recent outlier.
Eric Dixon Could Become Surprise Lakers Contributor
Villanova star Eric Dixon has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Dixon was the No. 1 scorer in college basketball last season, shooting 41% from 3-point range.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025
Reaves becoming a star has changed the perspective of what the team could get out of an undrafted piece. While the way things played out for Reaves is far from the norm, it still offers hope that perhaps Dixon could become a contributor. If that is going to happen, there are some obvious concerns the forward must overcome at the next level.
There is no arguing with the elite scoring ability; however, Dixon has defensive questions and was often the choice at the college level when the opposing team needed a bucket most. His ability to sit in a chair and play solid defense is almost nonexistent when being attacked by a talented enough scorer. This is going to be the biggest issue for Dixon in finding a way into the Lakers' lineup. Especially when you're already attempting to cover the iffy defense of Luka, and what LeBron James is capable of defensively in the regular season at this stage of his career is a question as well.
With this in mind, Dixon is going to have to show defensive improvement if he has any hope of breaking into the Los Angeles rotation. The scorer could be an enticing option based on his shooting numbers. However, the Lakers simply cannot afford another defensive liability if things don't improve at the next level.