Even during the regular season, General Manager Onsi Saleh is keeping his options open.
Late Friday afternoon, the Hawks announced that they signed center Christian Koloko to a two-way contract. They had two open two-way slots and decided to use one of them on a guy who could carve out a larger role at some point in the near future.
The spots even being available could end up being a blessing in disguise. When they opened up, Hawks fans were incredibly concerned about what would happen in the event that they had to rely on the guys near the end of their rotation.
While unlikely, injuries happen, and Atlanta should remain prepared if they ever get thin at a certain position. With the unreliability of Kristaps Porzingis and the defensive shortcomings of Onyeka Okongwu weighing on the minds of the Hawks' lead decision-makers, they opted to bring in a reliable and experienced end-of-bench center.
Koloko has seen a fair amount of action this season, appearing in 13 games with the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. On the year, in just over 15 minutes a night, he’s averaging 2.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and a block.
He doesn’t average eye-opening numbers, but his ability to impact games in such a short amount of time makes his deal invaluable.
In the 2022 NBA Draft, Koloko was selected by the Toronto Raptors. Out of the 108 total NBA games he’s played, he started in 21 of them, making him over-qualified for a two-way contract.
His real standout ability is protecting the basket. He’s recorded two-or-more blocks in 16 career games. In a particular matchup during his rookie season, he tallied a career-high six blocks, anchoring the Raptors to a win over the Chicago Bulls.
He provides a much different skillset than each of Atlanta's other centers.
To the delight of Hawks fans who’ve been clamoring for them to bring in a center with real positional size, Koloko stands seven-feet tall. He has the physical makeup of a big who's built for sustainable success in today’s league.
In the G League, where he’ll soon see plenty of minutes with the College Park Skyhawks, he has career averages of 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.9 blocks per game. He’s quickly built a reputation as one of the better rim protectors waiting for another opportunity to prove his strengths on an official NBA roster.
Koloko went to the University of Arizona, where he played and improved his draft stock continuously for three seasons. In 91 collegiate matchups, he averaged an efficient 7.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in just 17.9 minutes a night.
He took home Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in his final season with the university.
The Hawks announced they’ve signed center Christian Koloko to a two-way contract. pic.twitter.com/t3DWjGtMYl
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) January 16, 2026
While never being able to truly find a long-term home in the league, Koloko will go into this new opportunity in Atlanta with plenty to prove. If Porzingis continues to miss time and the Hawks continue to get dominated in the paint, expect Koloko to be thrown into the rotation sooner rather than later.