Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Rafael Castro has found his next destination following a turbulent offseason that saw him move between several NBA organizations.
Castro went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and has now signed with the Mexico City Capitanes ahead of his rookie professional season, according to DraftExpress’ Jon Chepkevich.
The Capitanes operate as an independent franchise in the NBA G League, without an affiliated NBA parent team.
Castro had also reportedly attracted overseas interest from teams in Spain.
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On October 12, the Lakers signed Castro to an Exhibit 10 contract, waiving William Kyle III to create the necessary roster space.
The 23-year-old center out of George Washington University had reportedly worked out with Los Angeles ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Following the draft, Castro initially signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks before the franchise waived him. He subsequently secured another two-way opportunity with the Houston Rockets, although that stint also proved short-lived.
Houston released Castro ahead of the regular season, allowing him to join the Lakers during the final stages of their preseason preparations.
His arrival in Los Angeles appeared to pave the way for a move to the organization’s G League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers.
However, Castro was notably absent from Coachella Valley’s training camp roster ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Instead, Meechie Johnson, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, William Kyle III and Chase Ross joined the affiliate player group after previously signing NBA training camp contracts with Los Angeles.
The Lakers could assign up to five eligible players from their NBA training camp roster to Coachella Valley, seemingly leaving room for Castro to join the developmental squad.
However, the 6-foot-10 center has now taken a different route, opting to begin his professional career with Mexico City.
Rafael Castro Gets Fresh Opportunity With Mexico City Capitanes
Castro spent five years at the collegiate level, splitting his career between Providence and George Washington.
He redshirted during the 2021-22 season and struggled to establish a consistent role over the following two campaigns.
However, a transfer to George Washington provided the big man with a fresh opportunity, and his production improved significantly.
During his senior season in 2025-26, Castro averaged 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting an impressive 62.7% from the field.
He also earned Second-Team All-Atlantic 10 and Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team honors twice apiece during his time with the program.
Although Castro attracted interest from NBA teams, he was never widely considered a leading prospect in the 2026 draft class.
He attended the NBA G League Combine before earning an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine, but ultimately went undrafted in June.
During his brief stint with Los Angeles, Castro appeared in two preseason games, recording two points, five rebounds, one assist and one block across 15.2 minutes of action.
He will now begin the 2026-27 season on a standard G League contract with the Capitanes, giving him another opportunity to showcase his abilities against professional competition.
Crucially, Castro will remain eligible to sign a two-way contract with an NBA franchise, meaning a strong start to the season could potentially open the door to another opportunity at the highest level.
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