The Lakers are continuing to make moves on the margin while trying to find a potential center solution. After signing Lawson Lovering to a two-way deal roughly two weeks ago, the Lakers are waiving the big man in place of…another big man.
Carson Cooper, a 6’10” center, will take Lovering’s place on a two-way deal, all according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Cooper appeared in one game with the Grizzlies this year, playing for just three minutes. He signed a two-way deal with Memphis after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
In Summer League, Cooper averaged 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in nine games between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. He attempted four 3-pointers, making two of them.
At Michigan State, Cooper averaged 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 58.4% from the field. He only averaged one block per game and attempted five threes all season.
Lovering only had some brief cameos with the Lakers, all coming in garbage time, during his stint with the Lakers. He was with the parent team at the start of the G League season, so he did not play with Coachella Valley.
Given how the Lakers are currently playing and how little real NBA experience he has, it’s unlikely to expect much from Cooper. The team is shuffling through options, but none of them appear all that intriguing on paper. For now, these are all makeshift, break-in-case-of-emergency solutions that likely won’t play.
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