The Los Angeles Lakers land forward Christian Koloko after agreeing to a contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The American center agreed terms with the Lakers after receiving interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors, and the San Antonio Spurs among other clubs.
Health Concerns and NBA Return
Koloko’s return to NBA has not been an easy one although it should be noted he has been playing in America since he left Nigeria. On January 17 the Raptors severed his contract to facilitate the trade for Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. Before that, Koloko had a serious problem with blood clots that Charania even stated could threaten his career. He too had several respiratory problems in October 2023 and was out of action. Koloko is still waiting for his clearance from the basketball governing body’s fitness board before he can practice or engage in any form of a game.
Impactful Rookie Season
After being selected by the Raptors with the 33rd pick in the 2022 draft, Koloko had some glimpses of the potential that earned him the draft slot for the first NBA season. In the games that he played, they scored an average of 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in each game with 13.8 minutes per game for 58 games. On the offense side, he was efficient, mainly hovered a net rating of all the Raptors players, of those that featured in a minimum of 30 games.
Adding Depth to the Lakers’ Frontcourt
Koloko’s inclusion may well be the shot in the arm the Lakers need to switch up things since the team already has robust big men in the form of Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers are keeping their fingers crossed that Christian Koloko will also get medical clearance before training camp; nonetheless, his defense should add some depth as they seek to contend in the next NBA season.
This year, the NBA has welcomed back Koloko as one of the Lakers, which has a flavor of both risks and prospects for the player.
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