The Los Angeles Lakers have historically been able to unearth gems either in the second round of the NBA Draft or in the undrafted free agent pool.
Names like Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves come to mind as former undrafted players that have gone to have successful NBA careers. Former second round picks like Ivica Zubac have also blossomed into quality starters, a testament to the Lakers’ scouting department.
This year, Los Angeles traded up multiple times in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Arkansas forward Adou Thiero who has an excellent ceiling if he ever improves the shooting. While adding Thiero was a great upside swing, L.A. also has two open two-way contracts available to add more developing talent.
Following the conclusion of Summer League, it appears the Lakers are planning to sign Christian Koloko and Chris Manon to their available two-way contracts, via Shams Charania of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Lakers plan to sign 7-footer Christian Koloko and forward Chris Manon on two-way NBA contracts, sources tell ESPN. Manon, undrafted out of Vanderbilt, played for the Warriors in California and Las Vegas summer leagues. Koloko played 37 games for L.A. last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2025
Koloko played for the Lakers in Summer League and held up well as a two-way presence in the paint. While he got off to a slow start, Koloko displayed the kind of rim-running and protection that make him an intriguing long-term project for a Los Angeles team that is short on talent in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, Manon fits the mold of a defensive energizer on the floor that uses his size, motor and athleticism to make plays. While he isn’t much of an outside shooter, Manon is a winning player that does the little things on the floor that head coaches like JJ Redick would surely appreciate. Koloko, though, is the main draw here as his experience in the Lakers’ system makes him a worthwhile prospect.
After originally going undrafted out of Vanderbilt, Manon had an impressive Summer League showing with the Golden State Warriors to earn this two-way deal.
By signing both Koloko and Manon, it appears that Eric Dixon will not get an opportunity with the organization. Dixon was slated to play for Los Angeles in Summer League but was held out due to an apparent foot injury.
Byron Scott believes Lakers roster needs more additions
The Lakers roster looks solid on paper, but still looks like a piece or two away from truly competing. Byron Scott seems to subscribe to this idea as he said he thinks the roster needs more additions.
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