Former Lakers First-Round Pick Joins 76ers on Two-Way Contract

Former Los Angeles Lakers first-round pick guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

ESPN's Shams Charania shared via X.

Former Lakers first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino has agreed on a two-way NBA contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OTFruKE5K7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2025

Hood-Schifino spent his first one-plus seasons with the Lakers, who selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of the University of Indiana.

Things did not work out for the former Hoosier in Los Angeles. He played limited minutes at best in his rookie season and never found his footing in the NBA.

His time in the G League was a different story; however, he couldn't duplicate that play in the NBA.

As a Laker, Hood-Schifino averaged 1.7 points per game, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists while shooting 23.9 percent from the field and 13.3 percent from three in 23 games and 5.3 minutes of action.

In the G League with the South Bay Lakers, he averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 0.9 steals while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three in 15 games last season.

Hood-Schifino only played in two games this season before he got traded to the Utah Jazz as part of the three-team deal centered around Luka Doncic to Los Angeles.

Five days after he was traded to the Jazz, he was waived without appearing in a game for Utah.

Now, the 21-year-old will make his way to the East Coast as he joins his third team this season.

The Pittsburgh native was a five-star recruit out of Montverde Academy. In his lone season at Indiana, Hood-Schifino was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. In 32 games (32 starts), he averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 33.1 minutes per game.

The 76ers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the league. They came into this season with high hopes, but they recently lost their star big man, Joel Embiid, to the season with his ongoing knee issues, and their massive signing last offseason, Paul George, has been a dud.

The 76ers are 18 games under .500 with a 20-38 record and are on a nine-game losing streak. However, they are within striking distance of a spot as the 10th seed, only 2.5 games back.

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