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David McMenamin
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David McMenamin
ESPN Scribbler Staff Team
- Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
- He covered the Lakers and the NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009 to 2014, the Cavaliers from 2014 to 2018 for ESPN.com, and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005 to 2009.
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Shams Charania
LOS ANGELES – As the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason concluded Friday, coaching camp guest Quincy Olivari informed reporters: “I just want a job in the NBA.”
On Saturday, Xavier’s undrafted Shield got his wish.
LA is signing Olivari on a two-way commitment, his agent, Darrell Comer, told ESPN.
Olivari, 23, made the most of his preseason opportunities, leading Los Angeles to JJ Redick’s first victory of the moment by scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter in a comeback victory over the Milwaukee Greenbacks. And on Friday, when the Lakers rested their starters against the Blonde Climate Warriors, he led the team with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting (5-of-9 from 3).
The Lakers are giving up second-year center Colin Castleton to bookend the two-way role for Olivari.
Since the Lakers’ time with Castleton, there is optimism about the situation of the franchise regarding the condition of Christian Koloko. Assets with knowledge of the condition told ESPN that a decision is expected soon from the NBA’s “fitness to play” panel.
Los Angeles signed the 7-foot-1 Koloko to a two-way deal during the offseason in hopes of adding big man Anthony Davis to the roster.
Koloko, the Negar. 33 selected in the 2022 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors, missed the entire final season with a blood clot problem and must be cleared by the league’s fitness-to-play panel, made up of an NBA-appointed doctor , a doctor appointed by the players’ union and a third doctor by mutual agreement before he can participate in basketball activities for Los Angeles.
