The Lakers are addressing their need for improved big man depth.

The team is signing Lawson Lovering to a two-way contract, and will waive AK Okereke to create a roster spot for the 7-footer.

The Lakers have been in desperate need of another big man behind starter Walker Kessler, and the start of the season only reiterated this.

Kevon Looney, the team’s lone true backup big man behind Kessler, had seen his playing time diminish throughout the season’s first week.

He played 15 minutes in the season-opening blowout win over the Warriors on Oct. 21, before playing five minutes in each of the next three games leading into Wednesday’s road game against the Clippers at Intuit Dome.

The veteran big man entered Wednesday with the worst individual plus/minus among players who’ve appeared in at least three games.

The Lakers entered Wednesday having lost Loney’s 30 minutes played by 29 points.

They’ve used small-ball lineups when Kessler and Looney haven’t been on the floor, mostly including Sandro Mamukelashvili at the center spot. 

The signing of Lovering wasn’t official as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Lovering spent 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, playing for the organization’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, and NBA team.

He averaged 7.7 points (59.2% shooting), 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocked shots in the G League last season. 

Lovering played in two NBA games for the Grizzlies last season.

He went undrafted in 2025 after spending his collegiate career at Colorado (2021–2023) and Utah (2023–2025).

A front office member of another NBA team described Lovering to the California Post as a center with good size, a really good screener, an underrated passer and a player who knows their role.

“To me,” the front office member said, “he’s one of the better G League bigs that’s two-way eligible.”