Lakers finally sign free agent and sign outstanding big man defender

After rumors began circulating that the Los Angeles Lakers would be the first to sign his services, Shams Charania of The Athletic now reports that LA has agreed to sign center Christian Koloko, according to Koloko's agent, Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports.

Read more: Los Angeles close to signing a free agent big man to strengthen the frontcourt

Terms of the deal have not been announced, but it appears his signing was made in part to compensate for the injury-related losses of power forward/center Christian Wood and perhaps forward Jarred Vanderbilt earlier in the season. The Lakers currently have all 15 spots on their standard roster filled and all three two-way contracts filled, so the club would have to release or trade a player to make room. Given the race between the Lakers, LA Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors for Koloko's services, it seems likely that he will receive at least a two-way contract and not be limited to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract.

Center Colin Castleton and forwards Armel Traore and Blake Hinson are LA's current two-way players. Since Koloko would be an upgrade over Castleton, he could be fired – if Koloko signs a two-way contract with Los Angeles. Two-way players are only allowed to play 50 regular-season games with their NBA team and are typically shuttled between that team and its G League affiliate, in this case the South Bay Lakers in El Segundo. In order to participate in the playoffs, their contracts must be converted to standard contracts.

If the Lakers wanted to move a player off the roster, Wood or disappointing big man Jaxson Hayes — both of whom meet only the minimum veteran requirements, although Wood can spread the court, adding another theoretical dimension to two-big-man lineups with Anthony Davis that Koloko or Hayes would not have — would be the obvious candidates for the Lakers' standard roster.

For Koloko, this is a homecoming of sorts. Born in Douala, Cameroon, the 7-foot-5 man spent his high school years in the San Fernando Valley — Birmingham in Van Nuys and Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth — before heading to Arizona for college. Koloko emerged as a dominant force in his final year in Arizona, 2021-22, and was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pac-12 for his performances. He was selected by the Raptors with the No. 33 pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

As a rookie, he appeared in 58 games (19 starts) for Toronto, averaging 3.1 points on 48 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 13.8 minutes per night. Koloko missed the entire 2023-24 season due to a blood clot issue, but was finally medically cleared in July, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto had released him mid-season to free up a roster spot.

Koloko, 24, is an intriguing defense-focused center with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and has yet to receive the official green light from the league's Fitness to Play panel.

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