Koloko won't start against the Lakers on Sunday, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
With Jock Landale joining the starting five, Koloko will slide to the second unit. Over six outings (two starts) with the Grizzlies this season, the third-year big man has averaged 2.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 19.2 minutes per contest.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Gets another 10 day-deal
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The Grizzlies signed Koloko to a second 10-day contract Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
The Grizzlies are still desperate for frontcourt depth, so this isn't a surprise. Through five appearances so far, Koloko is averaging 2.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in 18.6 minutes. He started the Grizzlies' loss to the 76ers on Tuesday, playing 20 minutes after seeing 25 and 28 minutes off the bench in the prior two games, respectively.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Scoreless in start
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Koloko contributed zero points (0-2 FG), three rebounds and two assists over 20 minutes during Tuesday's 139-136 overtime loss to the 76ers.
Koloko received his first start of the season, failing to score in 20 minutes. While he has played at least 20 minutes in three straight games, Koloko has by no means been an impactful player, having scored a total of eight points in that time. Jock Landale returned from a calf injury Tuesday and could eventually supplant Koloko in the starting lineup.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Signs with Memphis
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Koloko signed a hardship contract with the Grizzlies on Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
The Grizzlies are in urgent need of some frontcourt depth with Zach Edey (ankle) and Brandon Clarke (calf) both banged up. Koloko has had stints with the Lakers and Raptors, and he holds career averages of 2.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 11.9 minutes across 97 appearances.
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Christian Koloko: Waived by LAL
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The Lakers waived Koloko on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
After spending the 2024-25 campaign on a two-way contract with the Lakers, Koloko signed another one-year, two-way pact with the club in July. However, the big man will now have to explore other opportunities after being let go. In a corresponding move, Los Angeles signed Drew Timme to a two-way deal.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Blocks six shots
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Koloko contributed 12 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, six blocks, three assists and two steals across 25 minutes in Thursday's 87-78 Summer League loss to the Celtics.
Koloko was efficient scoring the ball Thursday but stood out most with his rim protection, swatting six shots. The big man appeared in 37 regular-season games for the Lakers during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Muted role continues
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Koloko totaled two points (2-2 FT) and one rebound over two minutes during Tuesday's 136-120 loss to the Thunder.
Koloko continues to be used sparingly by the Lakers, appearing for just the second time in the past 11 games, both of which have been during garbage time. Despite the fact Jaxson Hayes has been serviceable at best, Koloko has not featured as a meaningful part of the rotation. In his past eight games, Koloko has averaged just 3.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Makes season debut
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Koloko (illness) scored two points (1-2 FG) and added two rebounds and one block across 13 minutes in Wednesday's 131-114 loss to the Grizzlies.
After appearing in 58 games for the Raptors as a rookie in 2022-23, Koloko missed the entire 2023-24 season while battling a blood clotting issue that temporarily forced him to pause his career. The 24-year-old center signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in September, and after receiving clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel to resume playing in games, he took the court Wednesday for his team and season debuts. Though the Lakers opened up a spot in the rotation for Koloko as the backup center to Jaxson Hayes, Koloko will likely lose out on minutes if Anthony Davis (heel) is cleared to play Friday versus the 76ers.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Will be in rotation Wednesday
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Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Koloko (illness) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies and will be part of the rotation at center, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Assuming Redick sticks to his word, Koloko will be seeing his first NBA action since April 9, 2023, when he made the 58th and final appearance of his rookie season with Toronto. The 24-year-old missed the entire 2023-24 season while recovering from blood clots, and after getting clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel, Koloko is finally ready to resume his career. Koloko's return coincides with Anthony Davis (ankle) being ruled out for Wednesday's contest, though the Lakers are unlikely to ask Koloko to play significant minutes, as Jaxson Hayes is the likelier candidate to start and take on the brunt of the playing time at center. Koloko flashed shot-blocking prowess as a rookie, and now that he's healthy again, he'll have the opportunity to stake a claim to a more permanent spot in the rotation.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Not listed on injury report
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Koloko (illness) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Koloko dealt with a blood clot issue that sidelined him for the entire 2023-24 campaign, but he's been making strong progress over the past few weeks. While he's not listed on the injury report, Koloko likely won't be thrust into the rotation right away and is expected to spend most of his time in the G League given his two-way status.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Will eventually ramp up in G League
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Koloko (illness) will begin his return-to-play process with the Lakers' G League affiliate, although a timeline remains to be specified, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Koloko will report the South Bay Lakers to start the G League season, although his timing for returning to on-court action is still to be determined. Koloko's health following a blood clot issue continues to be overseen by the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel, but he is gradually progressing toward becoming fully cleared.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Remains out
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Koloko (illness) won't play in Wednesday's game versus the Cavaliers, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Koloko has been medically returned to clear but will sit out Wednesday as he returns to competition conditioning. When Koloko is ready to suit up, he is expected to compete for depth minutes in Los Angeles' frontcourt.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Medically cleared to return
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Koloko has been medically cleared to play by the NBA's fitness-to-play panel, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Koloko will begin practicing with the Lakers this week, but it remains to be seen how soon he'll actually take the floor in a live game setting. Still, this is great news for the Lakers, as Koloko will give their frontcourt a huge boost with his rim-protection ability.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Not playing Saturday
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Koloko (illness) is out for Saturday's game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
The Lakers have labeled Koloko's status as a "return to competition conditioning," so there's no clear timetable on when he'll be back. The big man is expected to play a role off the bench once he's cleared.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Won't suit up Friday
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Koloko won't play Friday against the Suns as the Lakers work him back to playing condition, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Koloko missed Opening Night due to a long-term blood clotting issue, though the club is optimistic he will return to game action soon. The 24-year-old is not expected to play a significant role with the club, but he could step up as the Lakers' third-string center if Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) misses additional time.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Optimism for Opening Night
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General manager Rob Pelinka said Wednesday that there's optimism and hope Koloko (illness) will be cleared to suit up for Opening Night against the Timberwolves on Oct. 22, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
After being diagnosed with blood clots last year, Koloko remains with the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel. This is an encouraging update, but Koloko, who signed a two-way contract with the Lakers this offseason, still has multiple hurdles to clear before he's relevant in fantasy hoops.
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Christian Koloko: Dealing with blood clot issue
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Koloko (illness) is dealing with a blood clot issue that is threatening his basketball career, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Koloko hasn't yet suited up this season, and he was waived by the Raptors on Wednesday to complete the trade that sent Pascal Siakam to Indiana. Koloko showed some promise during his rookie season and averaged 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. However, he'll be unable to practice or play in the NBA until he's cleared by the league's Fitness to Play Panel.
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Christian Koloko: Waived to complete Siakam trade
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Koloko (illness) was waived by the Raptors on Wednesday, Eric Koreen of The Athletic reports.
Koloko hadn't suited up for the Raptors all season, as he's battled respiratory issues and didn't appear close to making a return to the hardwood. With Toronto bringing in Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis on Wednesday as part of the deal that sent Pascal Siakam to Indiana, the team needed to open up a roster spot and therefore cut Koloko loose. While it's possible Koloko's respiratory issues keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2023-24 campaign, he should attract some interest across the NBA after appearing in 58 games as a rookie and averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks across 13.8 minutes.
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Raptors' Christian Koloko: Ups training, still lacks timeline
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Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said Monday that Koloko (illness) has been doing more training work of late, but the second-year center remains out indefinitely, Aaron Rose of SI.com reports.
Koloko continues to deal with respiratory issues that have thus far kept him from playing at any point during the 2023-24 campaign. Though the fact that Koloko hasn't been shut down from activity entirely is at least somewhat encouraging, he doesn't appear particularly close to being ready for game action. A timeline for Koloko's season debut is unlikely to be available until he's regularly taking part in full-contact, full-court practices.
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Raptors' Christian Koloko: Still out
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Koloko (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Celtics, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Koloko has yet to suit up this season. Barring a return to practice, he can be considered doubtful for future contests.
