There were rumors that the Clippers, Spurs, and Raptors were interested in Christian Koloko, but he signed with the Lakers.

Christian Koloko, a center who used to play for the Toronto Raptors, has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The news came from Shams Charania of The Athletic, who said on Friday that Koloko was finishing his return to the NBA and that the Los Angeles Clippers, the Toronto Raptors, and the San Antonio Spurs were all interested in signing him. Charania said that the Lakers were the “frontrunners” to sign him.

Along with All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, the 24-year-old was waived by Toronto on January 17 so that the move could go through. The next day, Charania said that Koloko was having trouble with a blood clot that could hurt his job.

After being out for a long time with “respiratory issues” in October 2023, he didn’t play for the Raptors before the trade.

The NBA’s fitness panel has to say that Koloko is healthy before he can play or train with a team. Even though he’s still waiting for clearance, he can now sign with a team before the 2024–25 season.

Koloko was picked by the Raptors with the 33rd pick in the 2022 draft. In his first season, he played in 58 games and averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 13.8 minutes per game. According to NBA.com, Koloko had the best net rating of all Raptors players who played in at least 30 games. He made an effect on both ends of the court.

Koloko will try to add strength to the Lakers’ frontcourt, which already has strong defenders like Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt.