Raptors still "keeping tabs" on former draft pick Koloko
The Toronto Raptors officially cut ties with Christian Koloko earlier this year, but that hasn’t stopped them from checking in on their former draft pick from time to time.
At today’s end-of-season press conference, Toronto president Masai Ujiri confirmed that the organization has remained in contact with Koloko, possibly suggesting a return to professional basketball.
On January 17, the Raptors waived Koloko after an ongoing respiratory issue caused the 2022 draft pick to miss the entire first half of the season.
Following a promising rookie campaign, it was announced prior to training camp that Koloko was sidelined indefinitely with the issue, with no timetable listed for his return.
After Koloko failed to progress to a level suitable for NBA play midway through the season, Toronto ultimately made the tough choice to part ways with the former draft pick.
Following the waiver, it was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that Koloko had a career-threatening blood clot issue.
“We had high hopes for Christian Koloko, how he was going to work for us, as a future centre for this team,” Ujiri said today, though he didn’t comment on Koloko’s health.
A 7-foot-1 centre originally from Cameroon who played at the University of Arizona, Koloko averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and one block in 58 games for the Raptors in his rookie season, averaging 13.8 minutes per game in his lone year with the team.
Ujiri related Koloko’s fate to two other unfortunate situations for the franchise, which ultimately saw two other NBA careers end this season for other members of the team. Otto Porter Jr. ultimately retired due to injuries at age 30 shortly after Toronto traded him to the Utah Jazz, while promising centre Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA for life following his involvement in a betting scandal.
The news of the lifelong suspension dropped in the moments following Ujiri’s press conference wrapping up.
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