The Los Angeles Lakers were among the most inactive teams during NBA free agency this past summer. It was somewhat of a surprise given that most expected general manager Rob Pelinka to provide LeBron James and Anthony Davis a better supporting cast.
Los Angeles finished last season with a 47-35 record, only to lose to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Despite James opting to re-sign with the Lakers, their roster is not championship-caliber. Whether a big move is made ahead of the regular season starting next month remains to be seen.
But the Lakers did add an intriguing free agent with training camp set to get going here soon.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, former Toronto Raptors second-round pick Christian Koloko has opted to sign with the Lakers over other suitors.
Koloko was an interesting name heading into the 2022 NBA Draft. Most figured that the athletic 7-foot-1 center would find himself as a first-round pick in the annual event. Instead, he dropped to the top of the second round.
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Koloko earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore before opting to turn pro.
Unfortunately, health issues impacted his time with the Raptors. Back in April of 2022, he was placed on the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play panel due to discovering career-threatening blood clot issues. Per Charania, signing with the Lakers is reliant on the big man gaining clearance from said panel.
If that does indeed happen, he’ll fight for a spot in the Lakers’ rotation.
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