Lakers Big Man to Miss Start of NBA Season With Serious Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers had the most frustrating offseason out of any team in the NBA. Much to the disappointment of their fanbase, the Lakers failed to make any significant additions to the roster. Instead, they are bringing back the same team that lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

If the Lakers don't want to waste the final few years of LeBron James, they need to act quickly to improve the roster. However, with the latest injury update, that will be even more difficult. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers big man Christian Wood just underwent knee surgery and will miss at least the next eight weeks.

Lakers News: Christian Wood Out At Least Two Months

The 2024-25 NBA season starts in six weeks. Wood being re-evaluated means that he will miss at least the first few weeks of the season, potentially more.

Wood is projected to be the third-stringer center on the team. On paper, that may not be that significant of a loss but considering Anthony Davis' tendency to miss games and Jaxson Hayes' overall underwhelming performance, Wood could have potentially had an expanded role. The Lakers needed his scoring and offensive firepower at times last season.

Perhaps more important, however, is the fact that this injury makes Wood harder to include in trades. Los Angeles doesn't have any roster spots to add free agents. Even if they were to add any, they would have to move a few players in a trade to do so. Wood, with one year left on his deal, was a prime candidate to be included in any trade packages.

If he is not healthy or available, the teams will presumably be less interested in acquiring him in a deal. This means that the Lakers might have to include players higher on the pecking order if they want to trade for an upgrade.

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