Attention has been firmly fixed on the Los Angeles Lakers‘ preseason preparations, with the team splitting a road back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
Behind the scenes, however, the organization has quietly continued making moves to strengthen its developmental pipeline ahead of the upcoming season.
According to the NBA G League Transaction Portal, the Lakers have acquired the returning player rights to center Cheikh Mbacke Diong for their newly relocated affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers.
Diong’s rights were acquired in a trade with the Birmingham Squadron, the New Orleans Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, with the Lakers sending the returning player rights to forward Solomon Young in the opposite direction.
Lakers Reacquire Familiar Near Seven-Foot Developmental Big
It marks the second time the Lakers have acquired Diong’s G League rights.
On October 21, 2025, the South Bay Lakers initially acquired the 26-year-old alongside a 2025 first-round G League Draft pick from the Santa Cruz Warriors.
As part of that transaction, South Bay sent 2025 and 2026 second-round selections to Santa Cruz.
Diong went on to make four appearances for the Lakers’ affiliate, averaging 1.0 point, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.25 combined steals and blocks while shooting 50.0% from the field.
The Lakers later waived the 6-foot-11 center, allowing him to join Birmingham through the G League available player pool.
Since going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Diong has bounced around the G League, spending time with affiliates connected to the Warriors, New York Knicks, Pelicans, Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Across 31 career G League appearances, primarily coming off the bench, he has averaged 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game.
Diong has also gained experience overseas, competing in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 editions of the Basketball Africa League with Nairobi City Thunder and JCA Abidjan BC.
During his most recent stint with JCA Abidjan, Diong averaged 4.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across four appearances.
Diong Could Add Depth to New-Look Frontcourt
It is important to note that the Lakers have only acquired Diong’s returning player rights. The transaction does not guarantee he will play for Coachella Valley this season, but it gives the organization control of his G League rights should he return.
The Lakers’ affiliate has relocated and rebranded as the Coachella Valley Lakers ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, with the roster expected to look considerably different from the group that reached the postseason last year.
Malik Williams, Kylor Kelley, and Drew Timme all provided significant frontcourt production at different stages of the previous campaign. This season, recent addition William Kyle III and returning forward Anton Watson could take on greater responsibility.
Should Diong return, his 6-foot-11 frame could provide another option at center and give Coachella Valley additional size alongside Kyle and Watson.
Kyle, in particular, is among the young players who could benefit significantly from the changing frontcourt picture.
The 6-foot-9 big man completed his four-year collegiate career at Syracuse by averaging 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks across 32 games as a senior.
Despite being undersized for a traditional center, Kyle established himself as one of the nation’s premier rim protectors, finishing inside the top 10 nationally with 81 blocked shots.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Kyle worked out for as many as 11 NBA teams before the 2026 draft, with the Lakers ultimately beating out interest from the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Boston Celtics to sign him.
By reacquiring Diong’s rights, the Lakers have given themselves another potential frontcourt option as Coachella Valley reshapes its roster around a new wave of developmental talent.
Lakers Reacquire Intriguing 6-Foot-11 Center for Developmental Pipeline