Lakers’ Arthur Kaluma Signing Puts Two-Way Player on the Chopping Block

The Los Angeles Lakers had a busy day on Monday, with the team making a couple of moves that were rumored to be in the works, starting with Matisse Thybulle agreeing to a one-year deal.

Despite having three players on two-way contracts, the maximum allowed during the NBA regular season, the team chose to add another player from the NBA Summer League roster to a two-way deal.

Lakers Reportedly Agree to Two-Way Deal With Arhtur Kaluma

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, they will sign Arthur Kaluma to a two-way contract after an impressive showing in Las Vegas.

The Los Angeles Lakers are signing F Arthur Kaluma to a two-way NBA deal, Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta of Life Sports Agency tell ESPN. Kaluma, who spent 2025-26 in Lakers G League program, averaged nearly 19 points, 61% shooting and 50% on 3s in Las Vegas summer league.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2026

Although a lot of the attention during the Summer League was paid to rookie Cameron Carr and high flyer Adou Thiero, Kaluma arguably had the best performance of the bunch, which sparked the debate about whether the Lakers should bring him in on a two-way deal.

With Kaluma now set to sign a two-way contract, one of the three players on two-way deals with the team needs to be waived, and the decision might not be all that difficult and may have been made before the Summer League was over.

Lakers Must Decide Which Two-Way Player to Waive

During the Summer League semifinals against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors, one Lakers player notably never made it onto the floor.

Former Miami (OH) star and sharpshooter Peter Suder didn’t play against the Warriors, leading many to speculate that he would be the two-way player waived to make way for Kaluma to get signed.

Suder failed to make an impression in Summer League play and could very well be the player ultimately waived to free up a two-way spot.

The two other players currently on two-way contracts with the Lakers are Chris Manon, who was also on a two-way deal with the team last season, and AK Okereke, who was the first undrafted player signed by the Lakers after the 2026 NBA Draft.

This is an easy decision on paper, as even though Okereke didn’t play great either during the team’s time in Las Vegas, he’s got more upside than Suder.

As for Manon, he’s one of the best perimeter defenders on the team and showed flashes of his potential during the Summer League, which probably makes him safe from getting the boot to bring in Kaluma.

During the Summer League, Kaluma averaged a team-high 18.6 points to go along with 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting an impressive 60.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.

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