The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving AK Okereke and signing center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract, Michael Scotto reported Wednesday, October 28, 2026, for HoopsHype.
Lovering appeared in two NBA games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. The 7-foot center averaged 7.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25 minutes per game across those appearances.
Lovering also played 30 games for the Memphis Hustle in the 2025-26 season, averaging 7.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.2 minutes per game. He shot 59.2% from the field in the NBA G League.
The signing adds a center to the Lakers’ two-way group as the team continues its 2026-27 season. Los Angeles entered Wednesday’s game against the Clippers with a 3-1 record and improved to 4-1 after a 103-87 victory.
Lovering played college basketball at Colorado and Utah before joining the Memphis organization. In his final college season at Utah in 2024-25, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 28 games, shooting 53.1% from the field.
Okereke spent the 2025-26 college season at Vanderbilt, where he averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 36 games. He shot 48.1% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
Before transferring to Vanderbilt, Okereke played two seasons at Cornell. He averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 29 games during the 2024-25 season, shooting 59.5% from the field.
The Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday, October 30, for their NBA Cup group-play opener.
