The Los Angeles Lakers are making a move to address their need for additional big man depth by signing Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract. To create a roster spot, the team will waive AK Okereke.
The Lakers have been seeking more support behind starting center Walker Kessler, a need that has become increasingly apparent early in the season. Kevon Looney, the team's primary backup big man, has seen a reduction in playing time. Looney played 15 minutes in the season opener on October 21 against the Warriors and subsequently played only five minutes in each of the following three games.
Looney entered a recent game with the worst individual plus/minus among players who had appeared in at least three games. In the minutes Looney played, the Lakers were outscored by 29 points. The team has resorted to employing small-ball lineups, often featuring Sandro Mamukelashvili at center, when neither Kessler nor Looney were on the court.
Lovering, a 7-foot center, spent the 2025-26 season with the Memphis Grizzlies organization, playing for both their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, and the NBA team. In the G League, he averaged 7.7 points on 59.2% shooting, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 blocked shots. He appeared in two NBA games for the Grizzlies last season. Lovering went undrafted in 2025 after playing collegiately at Colorado and Utah.
An NBA front office member described Lovering to the California Post as a center with good size, an effective screener, an underrated passer, and a player who understands his role. This individual also noted that Lovering is "one of the better G League bigs that’s two-way eligible."
The signing of Lovering was not yet official as of Wednesday afternoon.