Duke’s Marques Bolden Set to Work Out for Lakers Ahead of NBA Draft

Marques Bolden Lakers Workout

Getty Marques Bolden of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after scoring against the Boston College Eagles.

Despite having a year of college eligibility left at Duke, big man Marques Bolden has decided to forgo his final season in order to focus on the NBA Draft and an eventual professional career. An athletic shot-blocker, Bolden has been mostly stuck behind the supremely talented one and done stars that Duke has continually brought in during his tenure.

However, his Junior season saw him play a career high of 19 minutes per game where he shined as a shot blocker in his limited role. With the skills and athleticism to cause a problem around the rim in the NBA, Bolden is an interesting case whose upside is relatively unknown.

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Duke’s Marques Bolden Set to Work Out for Lakers Ahead of NBA Draft

In addition to the Lakers, Bolden is working out for a number of other big name franchises and could potentially see himself fly up draft boards around the league given his small sample size. The Lakers are in need of reinforcements in the frontcourt as the currently have Moritz Wagner as the only true big man rostered and Bolden seems to fit the defensive-minded mold the Lakers saw fantastic success from last season.

The Lakers are also planning to bring in UCF big man Tacko Fall for a pre-draft workout as well. While Fall is a MUCH taller player, Bolden is considerably more mobile and has a body type that looks to be a bit more NBA-ready compared to Fall. Both players are projects, just Bolden is a year or two closer to completion compared to Fall.


Marques Bolden NBA Mock Draft Projections

Currently, Bolden isn’t projected to be taken at all during the NBA Draft and instead can be expected to be found on the undrafted free agent market following the draft. While Bolden could potentially sneak into the back half of the second round on the back of some strong workouts, the most likely scenario is he sorts between a few bidders and tries to make an impact, and eventually a team, by showing out in the NBA’s Summer League.

As far as an NBA comparison, there really isn’t a perfect fit seeing as he hasn’t seen a whole ton of the floor. One comparison thrown around that I can actually get behind a bit is that of a watered-down Andrew Bynum. Bynum entered the league a top prospect out of high school who was physically gifted but incredibly raw. While Bolden doesn’t have the same physical tools that made Bynum a top pick, he’s a sturdy presence down low who can effectively finish at close range and can make an impact on defense. He isn’t a high flying block artist but like Bynum, he’ll get his hands on shots and make sure to alter most looks that come at the rim.


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