Christian Koloko has been cleared for NBA action.
The former Toronto Raptors big man has been medically cleared to play by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Koloko will practice with the Lakers and will ramp up to play in an NBA game for the first time since a blood clot issue sidelined him and threatened his career last year.
Koloko’s agent, Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports, confirmed that Koloko will begin full basketball activities this week, per Charania.
The Raptors take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. However, it seems unlikely that Koloko will be ready to play in that game against his former team.
Koloko being cleared is great news and will help a Lakers team that could use more frontcourt depth. It will give the Lakers a true center to play alongside Anthony Davis.
Koloko has not played since April of 2023. The Raptors had to unfortunately part ways with him after completing the trade with the Indiana Pacers for Pascal Siakam.
The Raptors selected Koloko with the No. 33 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In 58 regular-season games with Toronto in 2022-23, he averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.
The 24-year-old signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in the offseason. During his collegiate career, he played three seasons at the University of Arizona, averaging 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 2021-22. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
RJ Barrett talks about game-winning three-point attempt
Barrett made his regular-season debut against the Denver Nuggets after returning from a shoulder injury.
Barrett was aggressive early and scored 20 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Raptors were down two when Jakob Poeltl secured a defensive rebound with 9.1 seconds left in overtime. Poeltl made an outlet pass to Barrett who got down the court and pulled up for a three-point shot but it rimmed out.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
