Former Arizona center Christian Koloko signs three-year contract with Raptors

Christian Koloko bet on himself by entering the NBA Draft this spring.

That bet has officially paid off, as the Toronto Raptors have signed the 33rd overall pick to a three-year, $5.24 million deal. The first two years of the contract are guaranteed, while the third year is non-guaranteed becoming fully guaranteed in late-June 2024, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.

The 7-foot-1, 230 pound Koloko averaged 7.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.8 steals in five NBA Summer League games.

Bennedict Mathruin previously signed a four-year, $29.9 million guaranteed contract with the Indiana Pacers, while Dalen Terry signed a four-year, $15.5 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, $6.5 million of which is guaranteed.

Koloko appears to have a good chance to compete for quality playing time as a rookie. He’s the only player on Toronto’s roster above 6-foot-9, giving him a sizable edge on the court.

Koloko already shares a special connection with the Raptors’ star player, Pascal Siakam. They hail from the same town, Douala, Cameroon.

Koloko talks about his and Siakam’s shared background in an NBA.com article.