Lakers Rookie AK Okereke Gets Early Minutes, Limited Role So Far
AK Okereke, a 23-year-old rookie forward out of Vanderbilt, has appeared in the Lakers' first five games of the 2026-27 season in a bit role. He is not on the injury report. His biggest outing came Oct. 6 against Golden State, when he logged 13.3 minutes.
By the Lakers Nightly Desk · updated 3 d ago01The story of the nightEarly-Season RoleOkereke, listed at 6-7 and 244 pounds, has played in all five Lakers games to open the season but has barely cracked…
Okereke, listed at 6-7 and 244 pounds, has played in all five Lakers games to open the season but has barely cracked the rotation. He sat scoreless with zero minutes in the opener on Oct. 5 against Sacramento and again on Oct. 16 against Denver. His most productive stretch came Oct. 6 at Golden State, where he scored 4 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and dished 2 assists in 13.3 minutes, albeit in a loss. Across his five appearances he has totaled 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
02Health and BackgroundOkereke is not on the injury report, so health is not a factor in his light workload.
Okereke is not on the injury report, so health is not a factor in his light workload. He wears No. 31 and plays forward as a rookie out of Vanderbilt. The minutes have been inconsistent: he played 7.6 minutes against Golden State on Oct. 13 and just 5.0 minutes in a win over Sacramento on Oct. 8. For now, his role looks like a situational one off the bench rather than a settled rotation spot.
