The Los Angeles Lakers appear poised to retain two of their current two-way players, Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko, for the upcoming season, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who discussed the situation in a recent video Q&A session.
Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Lakers in January. Buha expects the team to keep Jemison as one of its three allotted two-way players next season.
Jemison showed flashes of promise in limited playing time during the 2023-24 campaign, appearing in 22 games and averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in just over 10 minutes per game. He demonstrated efficient scoring, shooting 61.9% from the field.
Jemison also had short stints with other teams last season, including New Orleans, Washington, and Memphis, showcasing his adaptability and resilience in the league.
Christian Koloko, who turns 25 this week, joined the Lakers last September after missing the entire 2023-24 season due to a serious blood clot issue.
Despite the setback, Koloko returned to the court and featured in 37 games, contributing 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in about 9 minutes per night while maintaining a solid shooting percentage of 60.6%.
If the Lakers extend a qualifying offer, Koloko will become a restricted free agent. Buha believes the team is likely to pursue retaining him.
“I think it would be a mistake to let him walk without at least trying to retain him,” Buha said. “Koloko makes sense as a 14th or 15th guy on the roster, a third center. And Jemison fits as a two-way guy. I think both guys would tentatively be back.”
Regarding the Lakers’ other two-way player, Jordan Goodwin, Buha noted that Goodwin was promoted to a standard contract in late March. There was speculation that Jemison or Koloko might also be signed to standard contracts to become playoff eligible.
However, the Lakers chose instead to keep veteran big man Alex Len, who made two brief appearances during the team’s first-round playoff loss to Minnesota. Throughout that series, Lakers coach J.J. Redick frequently deployed lineups without a traditional center.
Buha also touched on other Lakers-related topics in the video, expressing skepticism about the likelihood of acquiring Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in a trade.
He further suggested veteran point guard Chris Paul as a possible free agent target, noting that Paul could be signed to a veteran’s minimum deal to provide leadership and depth.
Lakers Expected To Keep Trey Jemison, Re-Sign Christian Koloko https://t.co/MiFEL5yIWf pic.twitter.com/CL6sOZ9bx9
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) June 15, 2025
