Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Milk Chamberlain, and Larry Nerd—these are just some of the playful nicknames former Indiana State and St. Louis standout Robbie Avila earned throughout his collegiate career. After a fantastic 2025–26 season, Avila now enters the pro scene, and his hopes of joining the NBA came closer after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Robbie Avila Goes Undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft
The 2026 NBA draft class featured some of the most electrifying young talents in the US collegiate scene, like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer. But after two rounds, Robbie Avila went home without hearing his name called. However, it did not take long before he got a call from the Lakers—it was an opportunity to show what he has.
The former Atlantic 10 Player of the Year agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the league minimum salary. Although he is technically in the NBA, he is still far from securing an actual roster spot. What he must do now is prove his worth in the upcoming 2026 NBA Summer League.
His second-best outcome would be playing with the Lakers’ G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, which would still provide valuable time for Avila to improve. Known for his bespectacled look, Robbie Avila is one of the most skilled big men in college. The 22-year-old center is a stretch big who averaged 12.8 points and an extremely impressive 41.0% from the three-point line last season. In addition, those goggles did wonders for Avila, as he was unexpectedly a good passer, averaging 4.1 assists per game in his senior season.
However, his biggest flaw right now is his athleticism—or the lack of it. He may have great shooting and solid footwork, which earned him monikers like “Steph Blurry” and “College Jokic,” but his subpar athleticism is one of the reasons he went undrafted this year. Nevertheless, Avila still has time to showcase his talent. The Lakers are no strangers to undrafted players breaking out as role players or even NBA stars. Just look at Austin Reaves, who recently signed a four-year, $185 million extension with the Lakers.
The Lakers Need Bigs
The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tough situation next season. To succeed in the postseason and build around Luka Doncic, they need a reliable center. In fact, Doncic is on record in saying he wants an “A-list center” to play with next season and moving forward. Deandre Ayton has not lived up to expectations, and it looks like the former first overall pick will not be wearing purple and gold anytime soon. The Lakers’ only selection in the 2026 NBA Draft was Vsevolod Ischenko, but he was immediately shipped to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for cash.
Before making further moves in the postseason, the Lakers are going all in on big men by signing various undrafted college prospects to Exhibit 10 contracts, such as Robbie Avila and the undersized but uber-athletic rim protector William Kyle III. In addition, the Lakers’ front office is reportedly interested in signing New York Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson, who just enjoyed his summer after winning a championship in New York.
The window is slowly closing for the Lakers in finding the perfect fit for the Doncic project.
