On July 25 , the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that the team has officially signed a two-way contract with rookie guard Chris Manon. Manon successfully won the favor of the Lakers management with his outstanding performance in the summer league and became the second player of the Lakers with a two-way contract.

Manong was not selected in the draft this year. He is from Vanderbilt University and plays as a guard. In the 2023-24 NCAA season, Manong averaged 18.2 minutes, contributing 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 steals, showing good defensive ability. He also played for Cornell University for three seasons. His average number of steals per game in four years of college has never been less than 1.7 times. He is a typical defensive perimeter player.

Although he was not selected in the draft, Manong did not give up his dream of entering the NBA. He played for the Golden State Warriors in the summer league this summer, including the California Classic and the Las Vegas Summer League. In the Warriors' 7 games, Manong was able to contribute 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks. He played comprehensive data in a short period of time, especially his efficient performance on the defensive end, which attracted the attention of many NBA teams.

This two-way contract means that Manon will be assigned to travel between the Lakers and its Development League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, during the regular season. He will be eligible for up to 50 NBA appearances, while also continuing to hone his skills and adapt to the NBA rhythm in the Development League.

Earlier this week, the Lakers just announced that they had renewed their two-way contract with center Christian Koloko. With Manon, two of the three two-way contracts of the Lakers have been confirmed. In recent years, the Lakers have always attached great importance to discovering potential players through the Development League and Summer League, and the signing of Manon is a continuation of this strategy.

For the Lakers, whose backcourt rotation is still uncertain, the addition of Manon will undoubtedly bring more defensive flexibility and tactical options to the team, and will also provide head coach Darwin Ham with a new lineup test subject during training camp. Whether he can work hard to become a regular rotation will be a major highlight during training camp and preseason.