2026-27 projection
| GP | MPG | FG% (FGA) | FT% (FTA) | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2 | .500 (0.5) | .700 (0.1) | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
The No. 48 pick averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes as a Virginia Tech senior, shooting 54% FG, 25% from three, and 76% FT.
Fantasy translation
- Nine-category: no 2026-27 redraft value.
- Points: no value without a promotion and 15+ minutes.
- Dynasty: watch-list stash for athletic rebounds/blocks; age 23 and an undeveloped jumper lower the ceiling relative to younger rookies.
Role, floor, ceiling, uncertainty
- Median role: two-way development season with the Texas Legends.
- Floor: zero meaningful NBA minutes.
- Ceiling: energy minutes after injuries, with per-minute rebounds but cramped offense.
- Contract: Dallas officially signed him to a two-way after selecting him 48th.
Sources
- Tobi Lawal NBA draft profile — official college baseline; accessed July 18, 2026.
- Mavericks sign Lawal to a two-way — official release, July 2026.
- Tobi Lawal NBA player page — official roster/news; accessed July 18, 2026.
Career record
Pre-NBA: Born May 1, 2003 in London, England; came to the United States for Lee Academy (Maine). Four college seasons. Two at VCU (Atlantic 10): a redshirt-thin freshman year in 2022-23 at 1.3 points per game, then 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds across 38 games in 2023-24 on an A-10 tournament champion. Transferred to Virginia Tech (ACC) for 2024-25 and started 30 games at 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. As a senior in 2025-26 he averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 1.1 blocks on 54.2% shooting across 23 games; he made only 12 threes all season and took 118-odd free throws for 90 makes, which is the shape of the offensive profile — rim finishes and putbacks, no jumper. Led the 2026 combine in both standing vertical (40 inches) and max vertical (45.5 inches). Draft: 2026, second round, 48th pick, Dallas Mavericks; signed to a two-way contract on July 3, 2026 with the Texas Legends.
Lawal has not appeared in an NBA regular-season game. His most recent competitive season is the 2025-26 Virginia Tech line above.
Durability: The senior season is the one flag — 23 games with 17 starts, with an ankle injury costing him roughly seven games and leaving him a game-time decision on several others. Nothing chronic is on record, but the ankle cut short his final college audition.
Trajectory: A 23-year-old rookie with elite vertical athleticism, real defensive rebounding, and no shot. The developmental clock is short at his age, and the specific gap — a corner three he has never made at volume — is the hardest one to close. Dallas signed him to a two-way, so 2026-27 is a Texas Legends season by design, with NBA appearances limited to garbage time and injury-driven call-ups. He becomes fantasy-relevant only in a scenario where multiple Dallas frontcourt players are out simultaneously and he is converted off the two-way; even then the offensive limitations cap him at rebounds and the occasional block. Dynasty watch-list at best.
Career sources: Wikipedia · NBA draft profile · FOX Sports college stats · Hoops Rumors two-way signing
Open questions
- Can Lawal develop a credible corner three?
- Is he an NBA four or small-ball five?
- How do his block and rebound rates translate in the G League?