Former Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke has agreed to a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, per Shams Charania.

Undrafted Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

Okereke played three years at Cornell at a walk-on before transferring to Vanderbilt for the 2025-26 season, where he averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 48.1% shooting. The Clovis, California native is a stout defender and a creative weapon on offense, especially in the post.

Notably on the West End, Okereke earned his Masters in Finance, founded a finance startup called Mainstreet and wrote a Catholic Substack in addition to starting 35 of 36 games for the Commodores.

Okereke had explored returning to Vanderbilt on the terms that the Ivy League did not offer him a redshirt year, but at the last minute, he opted to go pro instead.

Undrafted, Okereke was one of the first undrafted free agents to be picked up. He will now join the star-studded Lakers, whose future banks on the impending free agency decision of the 41-year-old LeBron James. Still, Okereke will join one of basketball’s biggest brands, which is always expected to be a contender, especially with Luka Dončić on the roster.

Additionally, he will now play alongside another member of the Cornell-to-Vanderbilt pipeline — Chris Mañon — who was his teammate in Ithaca.

Thus, the physically-imposing and hyper-intelligent Okereke will now have the opportunity to play his way into the rotation as a member of the Purple and Gold.