The Lakers aren’t waiting around to figure out their two-way roster spots. Fresh off the NBA Draft, Los Angeles extended a qualifying offer to defensive-minded guard Chris Mañon, making him a restricted free agent, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
Mañon went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2025 and spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with LA. He only appeared in nine games for the Lakers, but his work in the G League with South Bay turned heads. The kid got named to the G League All-Defensive First Team and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t shy away from talking up Mañon’s potential as an elite-level stopper.
Now the Lakers can match any offer sheet Mañon gets from another team. If he takes the qualifying offer, he’s locked in for one more season before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2027. That buys LA some time to see if his defensive instincts translate to real NBA minutes.
What Mañon Brings to the Table
In 46 G League games last season, Mañon averaged 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals. He shot 51.2 percent from the field. The 3-point numbers weren’t pretty — 31.5 percent — but the defensive pressure he applies is real. He’s the kind of guy who can guard multiple positions and wreck an opponent’s rhythm off the bench.
The Lakers carried three two-way players last year: Mañon, Nick Smith Jr. and Drew Timme. Smith got his deal converted to a standard contract for the playoffs. Timme played regular minutes during the season. LA kept all three spots filled for the full year, which isn’t always the norm around the league.
Offseason Moves So Far
Los Angeles has been busy. They already agreed to a max contract with Austin Reaves, locking in their young core piece. They drafted Cameron Carr. And they signed undrafted free agents AK Okereke and Peter Suder to two-way deals right after the draft. That leaves one more two-way slot open, assuming Mañon doesn’t fill it by taking the qualifying offer.
It’s a low-risk move for a front office that knows defense wins in the playoffs. Mañon might not be a rotation guy right now, but if his shooting improves even a little, he could become a real weapon. The Lakers are betting on the defense holding up while the offense catches up.
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