The Los Angeles Lakers continue to dominate headlines with their NBA roster overhaul, but the organization has also quietly strengthened its developmental pipeline.
In the 2026 NBA G League International Draft, the Lakers’ newly rebranded affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers, held the No. 19 overall selection.
With that pick, the franchise selected forward Jack Doumbia Jr. as it continues reshaping its G League roster ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Originally founded in 2006 as the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the affiliate became the South Bay Lakers in 2017 before relocating and rebranding as the Coachella Valley Lakers this offseason.
Lakers Add International Forward to G League Pipeline
Doumbia is not guaranteed a place on Coachella Valley’s roster, but the Lakers now hold his G League player rights should they decide to bring him into the organization.
The 6-foot-6 forward represents the Ivory Coast internationally, making him eligible for the G League International Draft.
He completed an extensive collegiate career that included stops at two junior colleges and three Division I programs across six seasons.
After spending two years at Norfolk State between 2022 and 2024, Doumbia transferred to Wright State for the 2024-25 campaign, where he averaged 11.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting an efficient 53.6% from the field.
Although he primarily came off the bench, his performances earned him another transfer, this time to Towson for his final season of eligibility.
There, Doumbia averaged 10.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.9% from the field across 32 appearances, including six starts.
His outside shooting proved a struggle, however, as he converted just 12.2% of his three-point attempts.
Even so, Doumbia carved out an important sixth-man role, leading Towson in steals with 35 while also finishing second on the team in blocks with 15.
LA Continue Building New-Look G League Roster
Doumbia is the latest addition to a rapidly evolving developmental system as the Lakers continue assembling their G League roster for the upcoming season.
The organization has already signed several Exhibit-10 prospects, including William Kyle III and Robbie Avila, both of whom will have the opportunity to compete for larger roles throughout Summer League and training camp.
However, both are expected to join Coachella Valley for the 2026-27 season, with their Exhibit-10 contracts carrying financial incentives to do so.
Meanwhile, the Lakers recently finalized all three of their two-way roster spots by signing former Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke, Miami (Ohio) guard Peter Suder, and re-signing Chris Manon.
Each is expected to split time between the Lakers and the Coachella Valley Lakers during the upcoming campaign while continuing their development.
Bringing Manon back also ensured the organization retained one of its standout G League performers from last season.
The 24-year-old earned G League All-Defensive Team honors after averaging 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals across 46 appearances while recording 97 steals, the fifth-highest total in the league.
With new prospects arriving through the draft, Exhibit-10 contracts, and two-way deals, the Lakers continue to invest heavily in building a deeper developmental pipeline as they enter a new era in both Los Angeles and Coachella Valley.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Lakers Quietly Add International Forward to Developmental Pipeline appeared first on HEAVY.