The NBA offseason has not been kind to the Los Angeles Lakers. The team struggled to make an impact in NBA free agency and has also been unable to make any substantial trades to upgrade the roster. One area the team wanted to address this summer, echoed by new head coach JJ Redick, was to bring in another big man to play alongside superstar Anthony Davis in the paint.
Recently, a report surfaced that Davis had been adamant about the team acquiring another big to help him in the frontcourt. This might have lit a fire under the general manager, Rob Pelinka, and the front office to go after another big man, as they have signed center Chrisitan Koloko, formerly of the Toronto Raptors.
Koloko is a former second-round draft pick of the Raptors who showed some promise during his rookie season in 2022-23. However, he dealt with a serious blood clot issue the following year, which resulted in him not playing last season.
That is a concern for the Lakers moving forward, as the last thing this team needs is another player on the mend, especially in the frontcourt, with Christian Wood recently undergoing knee surgery.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers have looked into Koloko’s condition and believe he’ll be able to play this season:
The Lakers have conducted an independent assessment of the 24-year-old Koloko’s condition and have reason for optimism that he will be able to play this season, sources told ESPN.
Even though there are obvious signs of concern with Koloko, the Lakers brass feel confident he’ll be good to go for the 2024-25 NBA season, which gets underway next month.
Only time will tell whether the Lakers made the right move in bringing in Koloko. If he can play, it could be a low-risk, high-reward situation. However, if he can’t, it’ll be another disappointing turn for the Lakers, as this team seems to have no room for error heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Christian Koloko Reacts To Signing With Lakers
After missing the entire 2023-24 NBA season due to a blood clot issue, big man Christian Koloko has gotten another opportunity in the league, with the Los Angeles Lakers bringing him in on a two-way deal while waiving Blake Hinson to make room.
Koloko took to his X account to express his excitement about getting another NBA opportunity. He believes the timing and situation in Los Angeles were perfect for him.
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