While it didn’t fully address the team’s need for a backup center to play on a consistent basis, the Los Angeles Lakers recently signed Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract, waiving AK Okereke in the process.
Lovering only had two games of NBA experience in his career so far, but the Lakers took a low-risk flyer on signing the center to a two-way contract.
Some previous comments from head coach JJ Redick might have scared some Lakers fans, but according to the player himself, Los Angeles should be excited for what he’s set to bring to the table.
Lawson Lovering Breaks Silence After Lakers Signing
Speaking in an interview with Benjamin Royer of the Southern California New Group, Lovering discussed his upcoming role on this Lakers team.
“I just think I can bring elite size, my feel for the game,” he said of what he’ll bring to Los Angeles. “I think defensively and rebounding, I can show up and set hard screens, get guys open.”
Lovering spoke about his excitement playing with the Lakers’ star Luka Doncic and the chance to work with current starting center Walker Kessler.
Along with that, he made some ‘dirty work’ comments that, if they come true, would be good news for the team that remains in the bottom half of the defensive rating, hoping to improve that statistic by adding the young big man.
“Being a dirty work guy, I’m a two-way guy – so not expected to have a huge role, which I never really thought I was going to – but just do dirty work and do the things that I’m asked to do every day. So just do what the coaches say and live with the rest, man. Just compete as hard as I can.”
Lovering has played in just one minute of action for the Lakers nearly a week after he was signed, and while he is expected to spend a lot of time in the G League, the team added some center depth, an area of the roster that was desperately needing an upgrade.
Los Angeles Signs Two-Way Big Man
As mentioned, the Lakers waived Okereke to bring in Lovering on a two-way contract.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract. In a corresponding move, the team waived two-way forward AK Okereke,” the team wrote in a statement. “Lovering (7-0, 245) appeared in 30 games (26 starts) for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League last season, averaging 7.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game, while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.”
“Over four collegiate seasons at Utah (2023-25) and Colorado (2021-23), Lovering appeared in 113 games (86 starts) and averaged 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes.”
After his signing was announced, Redick told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he didn’t know much about Lovering.
“JJ Redick when asked what he knows about the two-way signing and what he can bring to the table: ‘I know his name is Lawson Lovering,’” McMenamin wrote in a post on X, quoting the Lakers’ coach.
But despite that, in what might be seen as good news for the Lakers is that team reporter Jovan Buha believes Lovering will be an upgrade from current backup center Kevon Looney.
“It took me a minute and a half to come to that conclusion,” Buha said. “I think just by virtue of not being Kevon Looney, it’s an upgrade.”
Lovering still has extremely minimal NBA experience, and while he did fill a hole in the Lakers lineup, he’s likely not going to get minutes on a nightly basis. The team is still reportedly exploring another big man trade as the season goes on, so Lovering’s role could shift depending on the decisions made by the front office over the next few months.
Lakers Get Good News As Latest Signing Wants To Do The ‘Dirty Work’