The Los Angeles Lakers did not make many changes to their roster this offseason, but it appears they have finally addressed their need in the frontcourt.
Anthony Davis reportedly continues to tell the Lakers that he would like to play alongside another center, but with Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes picking up their player options, the centers on the roster remain the same as last season.
To make matters worse, Wood recently needed to undergo another knee surgery and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, so he will miss the start of the regular season. Between Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt both not being healthy, the Lakers are extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt heading into training camp.
The move the Lakers are expected to make to address that though is signing Christian Koloko to a two-way contract. The former second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors out of Arizona has been out of the league due to serious blood clots but is expected to be fully cleared for a return, paving the way for him to sign with L.A.
After reports came out of the signing, Koloko took to social media to express his excitement to resume his NBA career with the Lakers in the same city that he played his high school ball at Birmingham and Sierre Canyon:
While it remains to be seen where Koloko’s game is at after missing significant time, he will provide the Lakers with some much-needed size off the bench. He is known for his rebounding and shot-blocking ability, giving L.A. a defense-first center to play with or behind Davis.
It likely will still be Hayes serving as Davis’ primary backup to begin the season, but the addition of Koloko gives head coach JJ Redick another option in case more injuries take place before Wood returns.
Lakers waiving Blake Hinson to sign Christian Koloko
All of the Lakers’ two-way spots are full, which means they will have to waive someone in order to sign Christian Koloko. And according to recent reports, the Lakers have chosen to waive Blake Hinson, the undrafted sharpshooter that they signed out of Pennsylvania.
With Hinson no longer in the mix, the Lakers will go into the 2024-25 season with frontcourt players occupying all three of their two-way spots. Koloko, Colin Castleton and Armel Traore could all be in the mix for minutes, which should make for some fun battles in training camp.
