By Gee Bino | The Who Dat Daily

The New Orleans Pelicans are adding another long, athletic center to their training-camp competition.

Christian Koloko has agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with New Orleans, according to reports. The 6-foot-11 center will enter camp fighting for one of the final places on the Pelicans’ standard roster.

The contract gives the Pelicans a low-risk opportunity to evaluate a mobile defensive big man without guaranteeing him a regular-season role. For Koloko, it provides another chance to establish himself after a busy 2025–26 season that included stops with the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks.

This is not a headline-grabbing transaction. It may still become an important one if Koloko can give New Orleans the rim protection and defensive activity its frontcourt has lacked.

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A Low-Risk Bet on Size and Defense

Koloko was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 33rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after developing into one of college basketball’s most productive defensive centers at Arizona.

His professional career has been interrupted by health concerns and roster instability. After missing significant time because of a blood-clot issue, Koloko was eventually cleared to return to NBA competition. Since then, he has worked to rebuild his career through limited roles and short-term opportunities.

During the 2025–26 season, Koloko averaged 2.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting 41.9% from the field across his NBA appearances. Those numbers do not jump off the page, but his appeal is based more on length, mobility and defensive potential than scoring production.

Because the deal is non-guaranteed, New Orleans can evaluate Koloko throughout camp before making a final roster decision.

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Why the Pelicans Need More Competition at Center

The Pelicans’ frontcourt has several bodies but few settled answers.

Yves Missi remains a promising young center with athleticism and rim-running ability. Derik Queen offers offensive skill and long-term upside. Veteran DeAndre Jordan supplies experience and physical strength. Hunter Dickinson enters the picture as a two-way developmental big.

Then there is Karlo Matković, a mobile 6-foot-10 frontcourt player who can run the floor, finish above the rim and step away from the basket. Although Matković can play power forward, his size and offensive versatility give the coaching staff another option in smaller or more flexible center combinations.

Matković’s presence is significant because he provides a different skill profile from Koloko. Koloko projects primarily as a defensive center and rim protector. Matković offers more offensive movement, cutting and potential floor spacing. That contrast should allow the Pelicans to evaluate which type of reserve big best complements their primary lineups.

The larger question is whether any member of that group can consistently protect the rim, finish possessions with rebounds and survive defensively in space.

Koloko gives New Orleans another option.

His 6-foot-11 frame and reach allow him to contest shots without abandoning the paint too early. He moves well enough to show against ball-handlers, retreat toward the rim and challenge the final attempt. His defensive instincts made him the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year during his final season at Arizona.

The Pelicans do not need Koloko to become a featured player. They need him to defend, rebound, run the floor and avoid mistakes.

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Film Room: What Koloko Can Bring

Koloko’s best moments come when he keeps his role simple.

Defensively, he can play as a drop big, use his length to obstruct passing lanes and recover toward the rim. He is also more mobile than a traditional stationary center, which gives the coaching staff options against pick-and-roll actions.

As a rebounder, Koloko must establish position earlier and play with greater strength against veteran centers. His length helps him reach contested balls, but NBA opponents can move him off his spot if he is too upright.

Offensively, his assignment should be clear: screen, dive, finish and create second possessions.

Koloko is not a floor-spacing center, and New Orleans should not ask him to become one during camp. His value comes from vertical spacing around the rim. Hard rolls can pull weak-side defenders into the paint and create kick-out opportunities for the Pelicans’ perimeter scorers.

His hands, finishing consistency and foul discipline will be critical. A reserve center cannot earn trust if he gives away possessions or accumulates quick fouls.

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A Crowded Frontcourt Creates a Real Competition

Koloko is not entering camp with a guaranteed pathway to the roster.

New Orleans already has Zion Williamson, Matković, Missi, Queen, Jordan, Dickinson and other developmental frontcourt options competing for minutes and organizational attention. That means Koloko must separate himself through defense and special-role reliability rather than box-score scoring.

Koloko, meanwhile, must demonstrate that his rim protection is valuable enough to justify using a roster spot on another player who operates primarily near the basket.

The roster battle can be divided into four questions:

1. Who protects the rim most consistently?
2. Who rebounds outside his immediate area?
3. Who can defend pick-and-roll actions without compromising the scheme?
4. Who can contribute without needing offensive touches?

Koloko has a legitimate chance to answer those questions, but he must also prove that his body can withstand an NBA schedule and that his production can translate beyond short stretches. He does not have to outperform Matković as an offensive player. He must prove that his defense provides a distinct value the rest of the frontcourt cannot consistently duplicate.

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Big Q’s Take

This is exactly the type of training-camp move the Pelicans should make.

The contract carries limited financial risk, while the player offers a definable NBA skill. Koloko has legitimate size and a defensive foundation. If he plays well, New Orleans may uncover a useful reserve center. If he does not, the team is not locked into a guaranteed commitment.

The Pelicans must stop treating rim protection and rebounding as problems that will solve themselves. Adding competition is only the first step, but it is better than entering camp with predetermined roles. Matković’s offensive versatility, Missi’s athleticism, Queen’s skill and Koloko’s defensive profile give the coaching staff genuinely different options to test.

Koloko should be judged on whether the defense functions better when he is on the floor—not whether he scores eight or ten points in a preseason game.

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Why It Matters

New Orleans needs dependable role players around Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray and its younger core. A center who protects the paint and finishes basic offensive actions can stabilize lineups without demanding touches.

Koloko’s path to the roster will likely depend on defense, rebounding and availability. He does not need to win a major rotation role immediately. He needs to demonstrate that the Pelicans can trust him for short, disciplined stretches.

The non-guaranteed agreement gives both sides an opportunity. Koloko gets a genuine roster audition, and the Pelicans get another chance to find inexpensive frontcourt depth.

Prediction: Koloko will be firmly in the final-roster conversation entering the last week of camp, with his defense giving him a realistic chance to claim a depth-center role.

Confidence level: 60%

Gee Bino is a senior writer and columnist for The Who Dat Daily, covering the New Orleans Saints, Pelicans, LSU athletics, and the Gulf South sports landscape. He specializes in roster construction, player development, salary cap strategy, and breaking news coverage. Follow The Who Dat Daily for daily news, analysis, and exclusive team coverage.

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