Lakers cut ties with 6-foot-11 center after less than two seasons

Lakers cut ties with 6-foot-11 center after less than two seasons originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Over the weekend, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were finalizing a two-way deal with college basketball legend and G-League superstar Drew Timme.

Siegel noted that, for the deal to materialize, the franchise would need to cut ties with either a 6-foot-11 center after less than 2 seasons or a 6-foot-4 guard after less than 1 season.

The Lakers ultimately chose option No. 1 on Monday, according to Siegel.

“The Lakers are waiving Koloko and signing Timme,” Siegel stated on X/Twitter.

Following a respectable three-year collegiate career at Arizona, Koloko was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Koloko only lasted two seasons with the Raptors before joining the Lakers before the start of the 2024-25 season via a two-way deal.

While the Douala, Cameroon Native spent a good portion of the year in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers, he gained valuable reps with Los Angeles due to the franchise’s frontcourt injury struggles.

Koloko contributed 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 37 contests with the big dogs last year, shooting 60.6% from the field.

Unfortunately, Koloko didn’t get the opportunity to take the next step in his development with the Lakers, as the seven-time NBA champions’ commitment to signing Timme made him the odd man out in late November.

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