The Los Angeles Lakers are yet to make an addition to their roster in free agency this offseason but it appears that might change soon. NBA insider Shams Charania reports that the Lakers are the frontrunners to sign Christian Koloko.
"7-footer Christian Koloko is finalizing a return to the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers are frontrunners to sign him among Raptors, Clippers and Spurs, sources tell The Athletic. Koloko is awaiting clearance to play from NBA’s fitness panel; however, he is eligible to sign now."
"Sources said the Lakers – in need for frontcourt help – are leaders to sign Koloko, the 22-year-old former Raptors second-round pick. He has been deciding among multiple teams and is now finalizing a commitment on a deal to make his NBA return."
Koloko last played for the Toronto Raptors, who selected him with the 33rd pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, over a year ago. He had been ruled out indefinitely before the start of the 2023-24 season due to respiratory issues and was waived by the Raptors on Jan. 17, to complete the Pascal Siakam trade.
A day later, far more concerning news emerged. Charania reported that Koloko had a blood clot issue that was threatening his career.
"The NBA informed teams today that Koloko has been referred to the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel, that essentially means that he is unable to play or practice in the NBA until he is cleared. There's been no shortage of suitors, of teams interested in Koloko, calling his camp ever since he was waived yesterday by the Raptors to make space for that Pascal Siakam trade. But I'm told that the reason he has this career-threatening issue is a blood clot situation that Christian Koloko has, a source close to him told me."
You feared the worst at that point, but fortunately, things have gotten better. Blake Murphy of Sportsnet reported that Koloko's representatives stated he had been given clearance by his doctors to play. Now, they're just waiting for the NBA to do so.
JJ Redick Stated The Lakers Would Like To Land A Big Man
It was very much expected that the Lakers would be looking to bring in a center at some point. Earlier in the offseason, head coach JJ Redick said the Lakers would love to acquire 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."
"You look at the Western Conference right now, whether it’s Denver, Minnesota, OKC with what they added, certainly Memphis, they’re going to be back in the hunt, they added Zach Edey, certain matchups in the playoffs, you’re going to need a lot of size."
Koloko, who is listed at 7'1" and weighs 230 pounds, averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game as a rookie. It's clear that teams around the league think very highly of the 24-year-old but I am not sure if he's ready just yet to play significant minutes on a team that is hoping to contend for a title.
Related: Jeanie Buss Sends A Message To The Lakers Critics After Questionable Offseason
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