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Lakers Officially Sign 3 Players to Two-Way Contracts

The Los Angeles Lakers fill all three two-way roster spots ahead of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Chris Manon (30) looks on during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Chris Manon (30) looks on during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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After two games of the California Classic, the Los Angeles Lakers have had an opportunity to see what they might be getting in the young talent the team has brought in this summer.

Although rookie Cameron Carr has stolen the show, impressing through two games thus far and coming off a 26-point performance, the Lakers also have three other players on the NBA Summer League roster who have an opportunity to see time on the floor next season.

Lakers Sign 3 Players to Two-Way Contracts

The Lakers have announced that they have signed AK Okereke, Peter Suder and Chris Manon to two-way contracts.

After the 2026 NBA Draft came to an end, the Lakers didn’t waste any time agreeing to deals with undrafted players, with Okereke and Suder being the first two players on the team’s list.

Okereke played for Vanderbilt before getting the call from the Lakers, averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Suder made a name for himself as a knockdown shooter for Miami (Ohio), shooting 42.1 percent from distance and 54.6 percent from the floor while averaging 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Perhaps the most notable of the three young players is Manon. The defensive-minded guard played on a two-way contract with the Lakers last season, but spent the bulk of his time in the G League suiting up for the South Bay Lakers.

Manon made quite an impression during his time in the G League, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and earning a spot on the G League All-Defensive Team. The Lakers clearly feel he has enough upside to take one of the three two-way spots on the team ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

Last season, the Lakers had several players on two-way contracts, including Manon. Drew Timme and Nick Smith Jr. saw the most time on the floor, while Christian Koloko ended up getting waived in November. Timme replaced Koloko and Smith eventually had his deal converted into a standard contract so he could be on the roster for the NBA playoffs.

Although Manon, Okereke and Suder are currently on the team on two-way deals, that could change after the NBA Summer League or throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

In the meantime, these three young players will try to prove their worth in the final game of the California Classic and the games to follow in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League.

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Ryan Ward
RYAN WARD

Ryan Ward is an NBA journalist and a credentialed reporter with more than 15 years of experience covering the league and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has written for ClutchPoints, Lakers Nation, Heavy, Rotowire and EssentiallySports. Ryan also produces a podcast and video content focused on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA at large.

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