The Los Angeles Lakers recently made a roster move to add center Lawson Lovering on a two-way contract, and head coach JJ Redick’s first comments on the big man might sound a bit concerning.
The Lakers waived AK Okereke to make room for Lovering on the roster, as he’s now the third two-way player on the team, joining Chris Manon and Arthur Kaluma as the other players who will bounce back and forth from the G League.
Los Angeles needed a backup center, and while it’s likely Lovering still won’t be playing significant minutes, the Lakers added another big man to the depth chart.
JJ Redick Makes Concerning Lawson Lovering Statement
After the news broke of the Lakers waiving Okereke and signing Lovering, first announced by Michael Scotto and then confirmed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Redick gave a brief comment about the new addition.
“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.
Lovering is the newest player on the roster, and despite having some previous NBA experience, he still isn’t a well-known name.
In two games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, he averaged seven points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 24.5 minutes.
Lovering, 23, played in college at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Utah, and remains a player who could be beneficial to the Lakers’ center depth, set to play behind Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney.
“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.”
Though Redick might not know Lovering now, that will change as the big man is now on the Lakers’ roster.
Lakers Could Still Make A Big Man Trade
While Los Angeles did add another center, albeit on a two-way contract, there’s still a good chance the Lakers make a trade for a backup big man.
It’s become clear that Looney isn’t the answer to the non-Kessler minutes, and as team reporter Jovan Buha stated, a move could come soon.
“I would not be surprised if they potentially make some sort of move with either a two-way or roster spot to try to add someone because it’s clear that this is a massive hole [on] the roster,” Buha said before the Lovering signing. “I think they probably have to address it via trade ultimately.”
Additionally, Buha believes Looney, Bronny James, and Jaden Hardy could all be on the chopping block, should the Lakers find a big man in the trade market. Names like Moussa Cisse and Jericho Sims have emerged as potential targets, while Dwight Powell could arrive in free agency, a move that would likely see James or Hardy be waived.
“Now Looney, from an experience perspective, you could argue has the most value. So as long as he’s not playing and it’s more so just him as a locker-room guy, sure,” Buha added. “Then it’s Hardy or Bronny. And then I think they’re gonna try to flip Hardy. So Bronny is the one who’s only making a couple million that they could potentially waive.”
“I think they probably have to address it via trade ultimately,” Buha added. “But if they want to – like, yeah, I made the analogy with Dwight Powell being a Band-Aid, but you might need a Band-Aid until the trade deadline. So maybe you do go Dwight Powell.”
For now, the Lakers signed Lovering, but it remains to be seen if another move is in the cards to add another center as the 2026-27 NBA season goes on.
Lakers JJ Redick Drops Concerning Statement On Newest Player