The Pelicans are bringing in another big man for camp, agreeing to a one-year deal with Christian Koloko, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The exact terms weren’t disclosed, but this looks like a training camp arrangement. Koloko is expected to compete for the final spot on the standard roster, and New Orleans already has 14 guaranteed contracts on the books. The Pelicans also recently signed Kobe Bufkin to a non-guaranteed training camp deal.
Koloko spent last season bouncing around the league and the G League. He opened the year on a two-way deal with the Lakers, then was waived by Los Angeles near the end of November.
In mid-December, he spent about a week with the Austin Spurs before landing a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies. Memphis gave him a second 10-day deal, but did not keep him for the rest of the season once that expired.
From there, he joined Atlanta on a two-way contract in mid-January. Koloko appeared in 14 games for the Hawks, putting up 3.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per night. Across the full season, he played in 27 games and averaged 2.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.2 minutes.
The 26-year-old was the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 draft after three college seasons at Arizona. He showed some promise as a rookie with Toronto in 2022/23, but he missed the entire ’23/24 season because of a blood clot issue.
Because Koloko is no longer eligible for a two-way contract, the deal is likely an Exhibit 10 agreement. Even though he has technically played in only three NBA seasons, he has already accumulated four years of service.
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