Los Angeles Lakers Sign New 7-Footer on Wednesday

The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a two-way contract with 7-foot center Lawson Lovering on Wednesday.

Agent Drew Kelso of One Motive Sports told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about the deal. Lovering, 23, has been a free agent since the Memphis Grizzlies waived him Sept. 28 to sign Carson Cooper to a two-way contract.

Arthur Kaluma, Chris Mañon and AK Okereke opened the season in the Lakers’ three two-way spots.

Kaluma and Okereke are forwards. Mañon is a guard.

Walker Kessler starts at center for Los Angeles, with Kevon Looney behind him.

Memphis signed Lovering to a 10-day contract Feb. 9. Two days later he made his debut at Denver, finishing with three points, four rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes.

Lovering started against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 20. He picked up 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes of a 123-114 Memphis win.

The 10-day contract expired after that game.

Most of his rookie season came with the Memphis Hustle. In 30 G League games, 26 of them starts, Lovering averaged 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes.

He played seven Summer League games for Memphis in July 2025 and averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.9 minutes. The Grizzlies signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal Sept. 6, 2025, then waived him Oct. 18. They brought him back on another Exhibit 10 contract Sept. 26 of this year and released him two days later.

Lovering is a Cheyenne, Wyoming, native who played at Cheyenne Central High School. His mother, Lynn Fox, played basketball at Fresno State. His father, Bill Lovering, played at Colorado Christian.

He spent two seasons at Colorado and scored a career-high 21 points against Utah Valley in the second round of the NIT on March 19, 2023. Utah coach Craig Smith announced his transfer to the Utes on April 10.

Lovering appeared in 33 games with 24 starts as a junior at Utah, then averaged 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 23.8 minutes across 28 games as a senior. He graduated in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Once the deal is finalized, Lovering would be the only center among the Lakers’ two-way players. The Lakers visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night and play at the Golden State Warriors on Friday.