With the No. 45 overall pick in the NBA Draft (second round), the Los Angeles Lakers, who traded up 10 spots with the Chicago Bulls on Thursday afternoon, will have the opportunity to select a talented developmental asset before the event concludes.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony not only predicted the franchise would pair Luka Doncic with a 21-year-old NBL star but also provided the public with a brief rundown of his game.
“(Alex) Toohey is an intelligent, versatile forward whose maturity stood out in the NBL and at the NBA combine,” Givony wrote. “Just an average athlete, but he has made strides as a shooter. “He will need to become more consistent from beyond the arc to carve out a role at the NBA level, though.”
“Toohey checks some boxes with his feel for the game, consistent motor, length, and anticipation on the defense."
"He has sharp basketball instincts, but he'll need to become a more consistently aggressive and impactful offensive threat to use them in an NBA role -- something he took a step in the right direction with this past year.”
Toohey began his professional career in 2023 with the Sydney Kings (NBL). The 6-foot-8 forward contributed 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in Year 1.
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This past season, Toohey proved he's trending upward, contributing 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds on a Kings squad that finished with a mediocre 16-13 record.
As a result, the Canberra, Australia native received the NBL Next Generation award, an accolade given to the best player under the age of 25.
It’ll be interesting to see if Los Angeles takes a chance on Toohey with its lone second-round pick.
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