The Lakers are converting Nick Smith Jr.‘s two-way contract into a two-year standard deal, agent Lucas Newton tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Smith signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in late September, a few days after he was waived by the Hornets, who selected him 27th overall in the 2023 draft. Charlotte was facing a roster crunch at the time and Smith hadn’t taken meaningful steps forward in his first two NBA seasons.
Smith, who turns 22 years old next week, has averaged 6.0 points and 1.0 assist in 12.3 minutes per contest through 29 games in 2025/26. His shooting slash line is .433/.400/.733.
In addition to his NBA experience with the Lakers this season, Smith also played 18 G League games (29.2 MPG) with the team’s affiliate in South Bay, averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.0 APG and 3.6 RPG on .498/.370/.683 shooting splits.
Promoting Smith will make him eligible for the playoffs. The Lakers will have home court advantage in the first round, but their final seed — they can finish either third or fourth — will depend on the outcome of Sunday’s games.
Los Angeles created an opening on its standard roster on Friday, when the team waived Kobe Bufkin, another 2023 first-round pick. Smith will fill that 15th and final standard roster spot.
Smith’s salary for 2026/27 is unlikely to be guaranteed, though that hasn’t been confirmed. It also wouldn’t be surprising if his new contract features a team option for next season.