Report: Lakers ‘frontrunners’ to sign center Christian Koloko

After a summer of inactivity, the Lakers are reportedly at the front of the line for an unexpected signing of young center Christian Koloko.

It’s unlikely that fans would have guessed the Lakers’ first foray into the free agent market coming in September. Nor would they likely have guessed the player they would be signing.

On Friday night, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers were considered the frontrunners to sign Christian Koloko, who did not play last season in the NBA. Koloko has played just one year in the NBA with Toronto after being the No. 33 draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

After his rookie season with the Raptors, Koloko had a blood clot issue that kept him on the sideline for half of the season. Eventually, he was waived by Toronto and the league was informed of the medical issue.

This summer, though, Koloko was cleared to return, as reported by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet. In that piece, Murphy revealed that Koloko had been working out for teams during the summer.

We got some great news this week when Koloko’s representatives revealed he’d been working out with other NBA players in free agent showcases and that he’d received clearance from his doctors to play. To return to the NBA, Koloko still needs to be approved by the NBA’s fitness to play panel (and sign a risk waiver), so he’s not back yet. Still, it’s a great next step for a young player we’re all hoping the best for.

In his rookie season, Koloko averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and one block per game in 13.8 minutes per contest, seeing the floor in 58 games. Koloko played three seasons at Arizona and, in his final year, averaged 12.8 points and 2.8 blocks per game.

The obvious issue is that the Lakers do not have an open roster spot. Given there is competition for him and he is still just 22 years old, he would likely sign a guaranteed contract.

As things stand on Friday night, the Lakers do not have an open roster spot. A trade would change that, but the team has not made one yet.

Christian Wood’s injury likely sparked this move. For the second time this calendar year, Wood underwent surgery on his left knee, which will rule him out for at least eight weeks. It would not be a surprise, even, if Wood was the one traded away in a deal.

The Lakers also do not have the cap room to make a signing and stay below the second apron. The one bonus for them is that Koloko’s inexperience in the league means his veteran’s minimum contract would be relatively low, meaning a trade of just about anyone on the Lakers’ roster currently would open up room to sign him.

Nonetheless, the Lakers are addressing one of the roster’s weaknesses, even if in an unexpected way.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.