As expected, the Lakers have officially waived rookie guard/forward Blake Hinson from his two-way contract, per the NBA transactions log.
The move was made to allow the signing of center Christian Koloko to a two-way deal. That transaction is also official. Los Angeles already had three two-way players — the league limit — so had to release someone to bring in Koloko. Undrafted rookie forward Armel Traore and center Colin Castleton are the Lakers’ other two-way players.
But they were impressed with Hinson, as he put together a nice showing in the NBA summer league and is likely to draw interest from several other clubs. He could also potentially join the South Bay Lakers of the G League.
Hinson, 24, is 6-8 and went undrafted this past summer, signing a two-way deal with LA in July. He spent two seasons at Pittsburgh after a two-year run at Mississippi State.
Koloko, 24, is 7-1 and missed all of last season with a blood clot issue. But agent Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports said in August that Koloko had a “major breakthrough” with the issue after undergoing surgery. He has since been cleared to resume playing, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.
Koloko also held a private workout for multiple teams at the Las Vegas Summer League in July, and has taken part in five-on-five and full-contact sessions this offseason. He is awaiting clearance from the NBA, but eligible to sign with anyone immediately.
Koloko appeared in 58 games with the Raptors during the 2022-23 season. He started 19 of those games and compiled averages of 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks for the year. He missed all of last season after being diagnosed with a blood clot.
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