According To The VP Basketball Operations And GM Rob Pelinka, “hes weak….
The Lakers waived forward Blake Hinson to open their third two-way roster spot for Koloko, according to ESPN sources. Center Colin Castleton and 6-foot-9 forward Armel Traore are currently occupying the other two-way slots.
Koloko, selected as the No. 33 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors, missed the entire previous season due to a blood clot issue. Before he can participate in basketball activities for the Lakers, he must be cleared by the league’s “fitness-to-play panel,” which includes an NBA-appointed doctor, a players’ union-appointed doctor, and a mutually agreed-upon third doctor.
The Lakers have carried out their own assessment of the 24-year-old Koloko’s health and are optimistic about his potential to play this season, sources told ESPN.
During Koloko’s single season with the Raptors, he averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 13.8 minutes per game. In his final three seasons at the University of Arizona, he averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, earning the title of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Okoro agrees to 3-year, $38M deal to stay
The Cleveland Cavaliers and restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro have finalized a three-year, $38 million deal, according to agents Michael Tellem, Jeff Schwartz, and Marcus Monk, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
At 23, Okoro, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, was the last remaining restricted free agent. His new contract comes just over two weeks before the start of training camp, rounding off a productive offseason for the Cavaliers.
This summer, Cleveland secured significant extensions for star guard Donovan Mitchell (three years, $150 million), promising forward Evan Mobley (five years, $224 million), and center Jarrett Allen (three years, $91 million). Additionally, the team hired Kenny Atkinson from the Golden State Warriors to take over as head coach from J.B. Bickerstaff.
Okoro, a 6-foot-5 forward, averaged 9.4 points per game last season and achieved a career-high 39.1% shooting from three-point range on over three attempts per game, appearing in 69 games with 42 starts.
