Summer League is a chance for the top draft picks to find their footing and get their first glimpse of NBA action. It's also a golden opportunity for undrafted free agents to put themselves on the map.

Some less heralded prospects prefer to go undrafted and have agents steer them clear of being selected in the second round in order to pick the right situation for them to earn a roster spot and build their NBA careers. The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold in this fashion just two years ago, when Austin Reaves and his agent told the Detroit Pistons not to draft him because he had a two-way spot on a roster deprived of young talent.

Los Angeles has one of the best scouting departments in the NBA and appears to have found free money yet again on the undrafted market. Among the many undrafted free agents on their Summer League roster, these three players in particular could earn themselves a roster spot for the 2023-24 season.

Colin Castleton: The Skilled Big

The Lakers didn't have a reliable center to backup Anthony Davis last season. That was evident when they played LeBron James and Rui Hachimura at backup centers in the playoffs, even dusting off Tristan Thompson in Games 3 and 4 against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. They did sign Jaxson Hayes as a free agent, but he still has a lot to prove.

Enter Colin Castleton.

Castleton was regarded as a second-round pick by many draft analysts, including Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who ranked the Florida big man as the 45th-best prospect in this year's class. Castleton is an older prospect; he's only two days older than the aforementioned Hayes, who's been in the league for four years. But the 23-year-old flat-out knows how to play.

Castleton isn't the most athletic guy, but gets the job done defensively with great positioning and quick feet to challenge attackers at the rim.

On offense, he can act as a playmaking hub. Castleton and fellow rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino had instant chemistry and were able to flow from dribble-handoffs to flipped pick-and-rolls seamlessly, creating good looks.

Castleton is also a great passer.

In his last season as a Gator, he averaged 3.5 assists per-40 minutes and had a positive assist-turnover ratio. To put that in context, Utah Jazz Summer League standout Keyonte George, a combo guard, averaged 3.9 assists per-40 at Baylor. Castleton has soft touch and can also operate as a scorer out of post-ups and short rolls. He put all that together against the Charlotte Hornets, finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and three assists.

D'Moi Hodge: The 3-and-D Sparkplug

Castleton wasn't the only undrafted Lakers rookie who shined during Summer League. D'Moi Hodge had a rep as a 3-and-D guard coming out of Missouri, shooting 40% from deep on 9.8(!) attempts per-40 minutes and posting a 5.1 steal percentage.

Well, those skills translated immediately.

Hodge shot 22-of-55 from 3 during Summer League. That'll work!

Not only can he really shoot, but Hodge is also a sneaky cutter. If teams pay him too much respect as a shooter, he has no problemshitting the jets in the other direction to get himself a layup. Castleton found him doing that a few times.

Hodge's play prompted comparisons to former Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He isn't as big as KCP, but their games are pretty similar. Hodge looked like an NBA player in Summer League.

Alex Fudge: The Defensive Wing

Another Lakers rookie who deserves a shoutout is Alex Fudge. Fudge's shooting is what likely deterred him from being a draft pick; he shot 24.2% from three in college and 58.1% from the free throw line.

But Fudge can really, really defend…

… both on and off-ball.

Fudge also plays with a ton of energy. He may not be able to shoot it yet, but you can't have enough athletic 6-8, 200-pound players with 7-foot wingspans who defend and plays hard.

There's a spot for Alex Fudge in the NBA somewhere, even if it's not with the Lakers.

Moving Forward

Colin Castleton and D'Moi Hodge signed two-way contracts. They will be Lakers going forward and could see time with the big club. Alex Fudge is on an Exhibit 10 deal. Fudge showed enough to earn the last two-way spot that is currently being occupied by Cole Swider. All three proved themselves as legit NBA players during Summer League. Now it's up to the Lakers to keep them and develop them the same way they did with Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso.