Koloko is not in the Hawks' starting lineup against the Jazz on Thursday.
Koloko has started in two of the Hawks' last three games in the absence of Onyeka Okongwu (mouth). Even with Okongwu ruled out Thursday, Koloko will revert to a bench role while newcomer Jock Landale makes his Hawks debut as a member of the team's starting five.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Struggles in spot start
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Koloko finished with two points (0-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds in 11 minutes during Tuesday's 127-115 win over the Heat.
Koloko moved back into the starting lineup, although he continued to play backup-level minutes. With Onyeka Okongwu sidelined due to a recent dental procedure, Atlanta is basically doing anything it can to try to fill the vacant center spot. Despite the opportunity, Koloko is not someone who needs to be rostered in fantasy, even in deeper formats.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Will start Tuesday
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Koloko will start against the Heat on Tuesday, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
With Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) still out, Koloko will get the starting nod over Mouhamed Gueye on Tuesday. During his lone start with the Hawks in a loss to Houston on Thursday, Koloko posted six points (3-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Grabs seven boards and two stocks
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Koloko accumulated six points (3-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes during Thursday's 104-86 loss to the Rockets.
Koloko did a nice job making things difficult on Alperen Sengun, helping hold him to just nine points on 3-for-14 shooting. Onyeka Okongwu (teeth) has already been ruled out for Saturday's game in Indiana, so Koloko likely has another start coming his way. Give him a look if you need some boards and defensive stats.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Starting Thursday vs. Houtson
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Koloko is in the Hawks' starting lineup against the Rockets on Thursday, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
With Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) sidelined, Thursday will mark Koloko's first start and fifth appearance with the Hawks since signing a two-way deal with the team Jan. 16. Over his four prior outings with Atlanta, Koloko has averaged 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over 13.0 minutes per game.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Strong line off bench
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Koloko had 12 points (6-6 FG), four rebounds, one assist and three blocks across 17 minutes during Monday's 132-116 win over the Pacers.
Koloko, who recently signed a two-way contract with the Hawks on Jan. 16, made a very strong impression off the bench. He has seemingly pulled away from Mouhamed Gueye for the backup center role, and it's worth noting that Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) won't be re-evaluated until next week.
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Hawks' Christian Koloko: Signing two-way deal with Hawks
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The Hawks are signing Koloko to a two-way contract Friday, per Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Koloko was with the Grizzlies on a 10-day deal earlier this year and will now help bolster the Atlanta depth chart at center. He most recently appeared for the G League's Austin Spurs but is now set to report to the College Park Skyhawks for G League reps.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Not starting Sunday
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Koloko won't start against the Lakers on Sunday, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.
With Jock Landale joining the starting five, Koloko will slide to the second unit. Over six outings (two starts) with the Grizzlies this season, the third-year big man has averaged 2.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 19.2 minutes per contest.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Gets another 10 day-deal
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The Grizzlies signed Koloko to a second 10-day contract Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
The Grizzlies are still desperate for frontcourt depth, so this isn't a surprise. Through five appearances so far, Koloko is averaging 2.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in 18.6 minutes. He started the Grizzlies' loss to the 76ers on Tuesday, playing 20 minutes after seeing 25 and 28 minutes off the bench in the prior two games, respectively.
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Grizzlies' Christian Koloko: Signs with Memphis
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Koloko signed a hardship contract with the Grizzlies on Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
The Grizzlies are in urgent need of some frontcourt depth with Zach Edey (ankle) and Brandon Clarke (calf) both banged up. Koloko has had stints with the Lakers and Raptors, and he holds career averages of 2.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 11.9 minutes across 97 appearances.
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Christian Koloko: Waived by LAL
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The Lakers waived Koloko on Monday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
After spending the 2024-25 campaign on a two-way contract with the Lakers, Koloko signed another one-year, two-way pact with the club in July. However, the big man will now have to explore other opportunities after being let go. In a corresponding move, Los Angeles signed Drew Timme to a two-way deal.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Blocks six shots
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Koloko contributed 12 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, six blocks, three assists and two steals across 25 minutes in Thursday's 87-78 Summer League loss to the Celtics.
Koloko was efficient scoring the ball Thursday but stood out most with his rim protection, swatting six shots. The big man appeared in 37 regular-season games for the Lakers during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per contest.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Makes season debut
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Koloko (illness) scored two points (1-2 FG) and added two rebounds and one block across 13 minutes in Wednesday's 131-114 loss to the Grizzlies.
After appearing in 58 games for the Raptors as a rookie in 2022-23, Koloko missed the entire 2023-24 season while battling a blood clotting issue that temporarily forced him to pause his career. The 24-year-old center signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in September, and after receiving clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel to resume playing in games, he took the court Wednesday for his team and season debuts. Though the Lakers opened up a spot in the rotation for Koloko as the backup center to Jaxson Hayes, Koloko will likely lose out on minutes if Anthony Davis (heel) is cleared to play Friday versus the 76ers.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Will be in rotation Wednesday
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Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Koloko (illness) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies and will be part of the rotation at center, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.
Assuming Redick sticks to his word, Koloko will be seeing his first NBA action since April 9, 2023, when he made the 58th and final appearance of his rookie season with Toronto. The 24-year-old missed the entire 2023-24 season while recovering from blood clots, and after getting clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel, Koloko is finally ready to resume his career. Koloko's return coincides with Anthony Davis (ankle) being ruled out for Wednesday's contest, though the Lakers are unlikely to ask Koloko to play significant minutes, as Jaxson Hayes is the likelier candidate to start and take on the brunt of the playing time at center. Koloko flashed shot-blocking prowess as a rookie, and now that he's healthy again, he'll have the opportunity to stake a claim to a more permanent spot in the rotation.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Not listed on injury report
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Koloko (illness) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Koloko dealt with a blood clot issue that sidelined him for the entire 2023-24 campaign, but he's been making strong progress over the past few weeks. While he's not listed on the injury report, Koloko likely won't be thrust into the rotation right away and is expected to spend most of his time in the G League given his two-way status.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Will eventually ramp up in G League
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Koloko (illness) will begin his return-to-play process with the Lakers' G League affiliate, although a timeline remains to be specified, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.
Koloko will report the South Bay Lakers to start the G League season, although his timing for returning to on-court action is still to be determined. Koloko's health following a blood clot issue continues to be overseen by the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel, but he is gradually progressing toward becoming fully cleared.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Remains out
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Koloko (illness) won't play in Wednesday's game versus the Cavaliers, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Koloko has been medically returned to clear but will sit out Wednesday as he returns to competition conditioning. When Koloko is ready to suit up, he is expected to compete for depth minutes in Los Angeles' frontcourt.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Medically cleared to return
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Koloko has been medically cleared to play by the NBA's fitness-to-play panel, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Koloko will begin practicing with the Lakers this week, but it remains to be seen how soon he'll actually take the floor in a live game setting. Still, this is great news for the Lakers, as Koloko will give their frontcourt a huge boost with his rim-protection ability.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Not playing Saturday
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Koloko (illness) is out for Saturday's game against the Kings, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.
The Lakers have labeled Koloko's status as a "return to competition conditioning," so there's no clear timetable on when he'll be back. The big man is expected to play a role off the bench once he's cleared.
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Lakers' Christian Koloko: Won't suit up Friday
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Koloko won't play Friday against the Suns as the Lakers work him back to playing condition, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.
Koloko missed Opening Night due to a long-term blood clotting issue, though the club is optimistic he will return to game action soon. The 24-year-old is not expected to play a significant role with the club, but he could step up as the Lakers' third-string center if Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) misses additional time.
