Former Raptors Center Cleared for NBA Return Following Career Threatening Illness

Former Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko has been cleared to return to the NBA following a career threatening blood clot issue

Mar 19, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko (35) warms up before game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Christian Koloko has officially been cleared to return to the NBA.

The former Toronto Raptors center has been deemed medically cleared by the league’s fitness-to-play panel and will begin ramping up toward a return with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, . Koloko has not played since April 2023 and missed all of last season with a blood clot issue.

Toronto selected Koloko with the No. 33 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He showed glimpses of upside with the Raptors and looked like he had a chance to develop into an intriguing backup big man for the organization as a 7-foot-1 rim protector with developing shooting abilities.

But after a solid rookie campaign, Koloko’s career in Toronto was derailed when he popped up on the injury report in the summer of 2023 with what was then called a respiratory illness.

Toronto kept Koloko on the roster for the first part of last season, hoping he’d be able to overcome the blood clot issue, but a roster crunch following the Pascal Siakam trade forced the Raptors to part ways with the 24-year-old.

The Raptors remained interested in signing Koloko, Koloko's agent Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports told Raptors OnSI this past summer. Koloko eventually opted to ink a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers where he’s expected to eventually become a depth big man behind Anthony Davis.

Koloko appeared in 58 games for Toronto in 2022-23, making 19 starts for a Raptors team that lacked frontcourt depth prior to acquiring Jakob Poeltl. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 48% from the floor.

The Lakers will play in Toronto on Nov. 1 and it’s unlikely Koloko will be ready to play by then. It’s possible he’ll play Toronto when the Raptors visit Los Angeles on Nov. 10, but that too may be too soon for Koloko to get back on the court.