It’s more about HOW the Toronto Raptors lost Christian Koloko https://t.co/ihthSNFZEg via @raptorshq
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) September 19, 2024
Christian Koloko was supposed to be the next ”diamond in the rough” find for this Toronto Raptors front office. Still, an unexpected illness derailed his Raptors tenure, leading to the team’s tough decision to move on from the young centre.
With the news of Koloko’s return, the Raptors’ fanbase was understandably upset. The young Cameroonian big was supposed to be part of this team’s future, showing flashes that he could potentially develop into a decent modern-day big man. It may not sound like a big deal, but the Raptors’ “Run it back” core’s “compete window” couldn’t stay open long enough due to the inability of the front office to find a decent starting centre.
Looking back at Koloko’s rookie season, it was mostly up-and-down, as he’s alternated flashes of potential and things that could make a Raptor fan mumble, “Two years away…” Still, he showed enough flashes to make the fanbase salivate at what he can be, and he looked like he could be significantly better than any centre that the front office brought since losing Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
Then, the unfortunate happened. The news of Koloko being out indefinitely broke before training camp even started. The Raptors were supposed to reinvent themselves under an energetic new coach, Darko Rajakovic, and the fanbase expected Koloko to get the backup C minutes. This step was supposed to be a crucial part of his development, and just like that, the plan was shelved indefinitely.
A multi-team midseason trade that the Raptors pulled off put the front office in a pickle where they had to waive someone, and that someone was Koloko.
We shouldn’t be upset at Christian Koloko and his agent for choosing the Lakers. I’m pretty sure the Klutch agent made the best decision for his client. Right? Despite several teams showing interest, they felt that the Lakers’ Two-Way contract offer was the best situation for Koloko. The LA Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs have Two-Way contract spots available, while the Raptors and the Lakers don’t. In his situation, getting a standard contract is a long shot, but if someone offered him a spot, his agent would be crazy not to take it. We don’t know if the Raptors, Clippers, or Spurs offered Koloko at least a Two-Way contract, so it’s good for him to take the Lakers’ offer if that’s the only offer on the table.
Koloko’s signing resembles NFL teams signing players into the practice squad; he’ll need to show the Lakers that he’s closer to his pre-illness form and better. He can’t come back looking like the raw 22-year-old rookie at age 24. Still, it’s great to see that he could be back on the floor soon, and we’ll be rooting for his development to get back on track.