Who is Dylan Windler? Exploring Lakers' latest signing’s origins

Dylan Windler, who NBA fans may remember from the 2019 NBA Draft where he was selected 26th by the Cleveland Cavaliers, has signed with the LA Lakers. The team is currently in the midst of a four-game skid that has raised a number of questions about the rest of their season. Although they managed to capture the inaugural NBA Cup, the team has struggled since then.

With four straight losses, many are wondering what it will take for things to turn around. As Austin Reaves indicated this week, the vibes among the team are incredibly low due to their struggles. Amid their recent skid, rumors have also indicated that coach Darvin Ham could be on the chopping block.

Although the coach indicated that things between him and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka are good, something must change. With that in mind, a report from longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that the team has signed Dylan Windler in hope of turning things around.

The news came on the heels of a career performance for Dylan Windler as he recorded 23 points and 33 rebounds in the G League. As a result, the team has waived Alex Fudge in order to create roster room for Windler.

Looking at Dylan Windler's past on the heels of his recent contract with the LA Lakers

Dylan Windler had an impressive high school career with Perry Meridian High School in Indiana. After being selected to play for the Indiana Elite AAU (travel basketball) team, he earned significant attention from college scouts.

His senior year, before going to college, Windler led all players in the state in points per game and rebounds per game with 27.3 ppg and 10.2 rpg.

According to an NBA.com article from 2019, he was offered scholarships from 15 different Division 1 basketball schools before deciding to sign with Belmont. There, he managed to make notable improvements in his game from year to year, going from a 4.3 ppg scorer his rookie year to a 21.3 ppg scorer his senior year.

In addition, he went from a 4.5 rpg player to a 10.8 rpg player his senior year, while also managing to average a career-high 42.9% shooting from beyond the arc. As a result, he quickly found himself rising on draft boards around the league, with his college coach praising his skills and his winning mindset in an interview with NBA.com:

“He’s a great athlete, but also, he just understands how to win. He’s our team’s best ping pong player. In softball, he covers the entire outfield and makes plays, and hits it a mile. ... You could invent a game of some sort, explain the rules, and Dylan would be the best player at it.”

Unfortunately for Windler, after being drafted to the NBA, he suffered a season-ending injury his rookie year that has proven hard to recover from. After his stellar performance in the G League heading into the weekend, it will be interesting to see if Dylan Windler can prove that he has what it takes to compete with the best.