The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, which means the Los Angeles Lakers are getting to work on the undrafted free agent market to fill out their two-way contracts and Summer League roster.
The Lakers wasted no time after the second round came to an end as they are signing forward AK Okereke out of Vanderbilt, per Shams Charania of ESPN:
Undrafted Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026
This is the first of three two-way contracts for the Lakers, so they will still make other moves to fill out the other two either with more undrafted rookies or players who have already been in the league. Perhaps Chris Mañon could be an option for one of them after occupying one of the two-way contracts last season.
Okereke is a 6’7 forward out of Clovis, Calif. who played three seasons at Cornell before ending his career at Vanderbilt. He appeared in 36 games (35 starts) last season and averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field and 40.0% from 3-point range on 2.8 attempts per game.
That outside shooting was much improved as the 22-year-old shot just 31.7% from deep in his three seasons at Cornell.
While Okereke is not a true center, he has good size and strength at the forward position, which the Lakers have traditionally valued. If the improved shooting is legitimate then he could definitely carve out a quality NBA career for himself.
Recapping Lakers’ 2026 draft
The Lakers began the draft with just one pick in the first round at No. 25 overall. They did not stand pat though as they sent some cash to the New York Knicks in order to move up to 24, where they drafted Baylor guard Cameron Carr.
L.A. then made its way into the second round before it started by trading some more cash to the Chicago Bulls for the No. 56 pick. They did not wind up making a pick, however, as the Lakers later rerouted that pick to the Dallas Mavericks for some more cash.
The Lakers appeared to be targeting a center in the second round, but when all of the best ones went off the board just before their pick, they likely did not feel anyone else was worth making at that spot and decided to trade it.
After that, the Lakers obviously shifted their focus to the undrafted free agent market and quickly were able to land Okereke on a two-way deal.
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