Report: Arizona’s Christian Koloko signs with Lakers after blood clots threatened career

Former Arizona Wildcats standout big man Christian Koloko has a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after blood clot issues threatened his NBA career last season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Koloko needs approval from the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel, which determines whether players with certain injuries, illnesses or other medical conditions are able and fit to practice and play games.

The 7-foot-1 center was waived by the Raptors in January after Toronto traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. Koloko had not played a game due to what the team called a “respiratory” problem.

The Raptors took Koloko in the second round (No. 33 overall) during the 2022 NBA Draft. He played 58 games with 19 starts for the Raptors as a rookie and averaged 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds with a block per game.

“Oh Koloko!”

🛑 Christian Koloko flies in for the rejection on the NBA App: https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/gBpj87WNCt

— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2022

The Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Raptors were also interested in signing Koloko, according to Charania.

Koloko will have a chance to compete for playing time in the Los Angeles frontcourt, a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Fellow Lakers frontcourt players include Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura.

The former Wildcat racked up the accolades during his junior campaign under first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd. Koloko won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year awards. He also made First Team All Pac-12.

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