Christian Koloko was expected to be a long-term piece for the Toronto Raptors before he was waived abruptly in January 2024. As news of his career-threatening blood clot issues broke, Koloko had the rest of the season and the summer to find solutions before returning to the league. The Los Angeles Lakers signed him, but Koloko revealed to TMZ that he’s still waiting for the NBA to officially clear him to compete.
“I feel amazing. My doctors gave me the green light but now we’re just waiting on the NBA. We’re pretty optimistic. Hopefully, everything goes well. I’m just gonna come in ready. Be ready to do whatever it takes to have the team win and that’s the goal — win!”
Koloko didn’t play last season before being waived in January due to severe respiratory issue. The year off seems to have helped him find solutions to his ailments to return to the NBA, signing a two-way contract with the Lakers this summer. He averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in the 2022-23 season with the Raptors.
If Koloko is cleared and healthy to contribute, he could be impactful as a center playing alongside Anthony Davis or in his place. Koloko has a shooting touch and is an emphatic rim protector, both skills the Lakers were looking in a backup big for the last two seasons.
Anthony Davis Wants To Play Alongside Big Men
The Lakers have shown an inclination towards bringing competent centers who can play alongside Anthony Davis, with the Lakers big man reportedly wanting to play alongside them instead of continuing to be the franchise’s full-time center.
“One thing Davis has made clear to the Lakers is his preference to play alongside another big more often. The Lakers are thin in the middle going into the season with Christian Wood expected to be out for at least eight weeks following left knee surgery, leaving Jaxson Hayes and two-way player Colin Castleton as the only other healthy centers on the roster.”
With Hayes as the only other playable big man on the roster right now, getting Koloko on a two-way deal was a great move. This allows the Lakers to defer their decision to sign him full-time to later in the season, preserving roster spots while they try combinations of Davis with Hayes and Wood as well.
These names won’t strike fear into opponents’ hearts, with Redick making it clear earlier this season that the Lakers want a big man.
“You certainly have to look at what I think is actually a very good roster, a very balanced roster. We’d love to, we tried, but we’d love to, at some point, get another five-man, a big bruising five-man.”
Their failed pursuit for the likes of Jonas Valunciunas has made this summer more complicated, so the Lakers need to do what they can with what they have. Koloko isn’t a superstar but he can turn out to be a more than decent option who could, at the minimum, challenges Hayes and Wood for the backup big spots.