Lakers Officially Sign Christian Koloko To Two-Way Deal

Koloko, 24, is 7-foot-1 and missed all of last season with a blood clot issue. But agent Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports said in August that Koloko had a “major breakthrough” with the issue after undergoing surgery. He has since been cleared to resume playing, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.

Koloko also held a private workout for multiple teams at the Las Vegas Summer League in July, and has taken part in five-on-five and full-contact sessions this offseason. He is awaiting clearance from the NBA, but was eligible to sign with anyone immediately.

Koloko appeared in 58 games with the Raptors during the 2022-23 season. He started 19 of those games and compiled averages of 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks for the year. He missed all of last season after being diagnosed with a blood clot.

The Lakers are one of just three NBA teams to have not signed an outside free agent to a standard deal (along with the Celtics and Cavaliers). They will be without injured center Christian Wood until at least mid-November, so adding another big man makes sense.

Along with the Lakers, the Clippers, Spurs and Raptors reportedly expressed an interest in Koloko. 

To make room on the roster, the Lakers waived rookie Blake Hinson.

Hinson, 24, is 6-8 and went undrafted this past summer, signing a two-way deal with LA in July. He spent two seasons at Pittsburgh after a two-year run at Mississippi State. He then put together a nice showing in NBA Summer League games and, as Scotto noted, is likely to draw interest from several other clubs. He could also potentially join the South Bay Lakers of the G League.