LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers have turned to their two-way contract players this season, they’ve been able to make an impact. Both Nick Smith Jr. and Drew Timme have contributed to wins for the Lakers, and have been with the parent club for most of the year. The Lakers’ third two-way contract player, rookie Chris Mañon, hasn’t quite gotten that opportunity yet.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Chris Mañon latched on with the Lakers on a two-way contract. An injury prevented him from participating in training camp, but the Lakers had seen enough of him in summer league to warrant keeping him on the roster.
So far, Mañon has spent the majority of his rookie season with South Bay in the G League. Earlier in the season, he was put into the rotation briefly amid injuries, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick admitted he wanted to find more minutes for Mañon at some point.
But until then, Mañon is continuing to improve his game while getting reps in the G League.
“I’m just trying to get better every day. Obviously I saw a lot to improve on,” Mañon said following a recent South Bay game. “I’m just working on the little things that I can do, and I’m just trying to stay ready.”
Mañon’s early opportunity with the Lakers came during a back-to-back stretch back in October against the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers. While his stat sheet may not have popped out, he showed some of the defensive prowess that the Lakers knew they were getting when they signed him.
Following the Kings game, Redick mentioned that Mañon has the ability to be an elite defensive player in the NBA. He also acknowledged that he was a little surprised by Mañon’s ball-handling and decision-making.
Article Continues Below
Including the Lakers’ two-way contract players, South Bay has had a few talented scorers this season. It’s allowed Mañon the opportunity to work on that playmaking and decision-making as a ball-handler.
“We’ve had a lot of good players, so sometimes I don’t get the ball as much,” Mañon said. “But I think when I get the ball and I stay aggressive, I can playmake a little bit.”
Mañon has appeared in 23 games so far with South Bay, at a little over 29 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals with splits of 48.6 percent shooting from the field, 29.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 79.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
From what he’s seen, South Bay has been a good organization as far as getting real development reps.
“You see Drew, you see Nick and Kobe [Bufkin], getting up there, they give guys opportunities to shoot and be aggressive,” Mañon said. “You’re in control of yourself, basically. I think Zach [Guthrie] does a good job just letting us play, and trying to get us better.”