The LA Lakers may have found their jackpot! It has been a dry run for the LA side throughout the off-season, failing to stack up the roster. Especially, the team hasn’t added a big man to take the load off Anthony Davis. Notably, Rob Pelinka eyed Jonas Valanciunas during the free agency market and fumbled it at the end. Even after that, the Lakers continue to have a cautious eye on the big man. However, the Lakers might get the fruit for their patience, as a 7-foot Cameroonian surfaces at a crucial juncture.

One may assume that it could be Joel Embiid, reading ‘Cameroon’ and ‘7-feet’. But it’s the former Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko. The 22-year-old came into the league as the #33 overall pick in the 2022-23 season and put up a decent show as a reserve center. Koloko couldn’t play the following season because of a respiratory condition. Nevertheless, the big man has cleared all the obstacles and is set to return to the league, as per Shams Charania.

More importantly, the seasoned NBA Insider revealed that the Lakers have emerged as the front-runner to sign Koloko. Meanwhile, the Raptors, LA Clippers, and San Antonio Spurs also have their targets set on him.

Anthony Davis made one thing very clear when he entered the Lakers’ fold. He wanted a number 4 spot. During his introductory press meet, Davis said, “I like playing the 4. I’m not even going to sugarcoat it. I like playing the 4, I don’t really like playing the 5.” In the first season, AD had Dwight Howard to take the pressure off and they ultimately won the championship. However, following that, the Lakers haven’t found a significant replacement.

Will Christian Koloko’s trade end the Lakers’ precarious situation amid the Jonas Valanciunas pursuit?

After Dwight Howard, there weren’t really any significant center players on the side. Jaxon Hayes and Christian Wood came into the side, but failed to make a significant difference. In return, AD suffered multiple injuries and missed out on plenty of games. That’s when LeBron James stepped in during his off-season and decided to sacrifice his salary to rope in a veteran player, eyeing Jonas Valanciunas’ free agency.

However, Jonas ended up joining the Washington Wizards. Nevertheless, the team continued to keep an eye on the big man. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers have a good track record when it comes to cracking deals with the Wizards. So he expected the Lakers to crack the Jonas trade ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. Meanwhile, looking at Koloko’s situation, the team may not need the trade.

Christian Koloko stats

Before playing for the Raptors, Koloko had an impressive three-season collegiate stint with the University of Arizona. In his 91 games, the rising star started the game on 56 occasions, averaging 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Notably, Koloko made it to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team in his junior year. Following that, in his stint with the Raptors, he played 58 games, starting 19 of them. However, he couldn’t make a significant dent, as he averaged only 3.1 ppg and 2.9 rpg during his 13-odd minutes stay on the floor.

Nevertheless, the rising star might look to grab his second opportunity with two hands. Will he make it count with the Lakers? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.