A day before training camp is set to start, the Lakers have filled their final two-way spot. On Monday, the team announced they had signed Nick Smith Jr. to a two-way deal.
Smith was waived by the Hornets late last week just ahead of Charlotte’s training camp.
Smith Jr. has spent the last two seasons playing for the Hornets. He’s a guard with a good shot from deep. Smith Jr. shot 43% from 3-point range during his rookie
season. Last year, the 20-year-old averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Hornets.
One of his best games during the 2024-25 NBA season came against the Raptors late into the season. He scored 28 points in the 126-96 loss, going 6-9 from outside the arc.
Smith Jr. is still a young prospect at 21 years old and the hope is that with him part of the Lakers organization, he can establish a role for himself in the league.
With Smith Jr. joining the roster, the Lakers also waived center Kylor Kelly. Los Angeles signed Kelly to an Exhibit-10 deal in August. He was waived to create an open roster spot heading into training camp.
Now, the Lakers have all three two-way spots secured. LA also has Christian Koloko and Chris Mañon on two-way contracts, giving the team a big and two guards who can split their time between the G League and the NBA.
The Lakers have demonstrated a commitment to utilizing their two-way players during the JJ Redick era. Last season, Koloko played in 37 of a possible 50 games on a two-way deal, and Jordan Goodwin started on a two-way contract and was converted to a standard deal, cracking the Lakers’ rotation.
We’ll see how this year’s trio does with the Lakers and at South Bay.
Also, the three players on two-ways are subject to change. Last season, the Lakers made plenty of changes to their two-way personnel throughout the season, trying to find the right players to fill those spots.
So, just because Koloko, Mañon and Smith Jr. are in these positions now, it doesn’t mean they are locked in. They can either get waived or move into a best-case scenario, where they earn a permanent roster spot, as Goodwin did last year.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
