Former Raptors center Christian Koloko facing career-threatening blood clot issue: Source

Former Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko is dealing with a blood clot issue that is threatening his NBA career, a source close to the player told The Athletic. 

The league informed teams today that Koloko has been referred to the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel, which means he is not able to play or practice until he is medically cleared. Toronto waived Koloko on Wednesday to open a roster spot to complete the Pascal Siakam trade, and multiple teams have reached out to express interest in the center.

When asked during a news conference Thursday why Koloko was the player waived, Raptors president Masai Ujiri said he couldn’t comment but alluded to medical issues.

“His medical status is now in the hands of the NBA and I can’t comment on it. But that’s a very tough one for us because (Koloko was) somebody we really believed in, someone that I know has incredible talent, and we saw as a future on this team. But we’ve exhausted all our options there and I can’t comment on what it is particularly.

“It’s now in the hands of the NBA and I stay private with my comments on him. But it’s really unfortunate for us, because this is a player that we felt was really a big part of our future and someone that’s part of the programs we’ve built in Africa, and what we believe is now a true pipeline of how we get future players in the NBA. This was a big one for us and it didn’t work out that way for now.”

What did Koloko show in his rookie year?

Koloko, the No. 33 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, played sparingly last year, but showed glimpses of promise. The Raptors were 11.2 points per 100 possessions stingier on defense when Koloko was on the floor compared to when he was not, mostly thanks to his excellent rim protection. Opponents shot just 54.3 percent from the field when Koloko contested a shot taken six feet from the rim or closer. The three-year player out of Arizona was very raw offensively, and foul-prone, but his defensive potential was real. His 3-pointer down the stretch to help the Raptors beat the Suns on Dec. 30, 2022 was his most memorable moment of the season. — Eric Koreen, Raptors beat writer

(Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images)

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