Three Lakers Expected to Miss Rest of 2023-24 Season
Tuesday wasn't a great day for Los Angeles Lakers fans as reports emerged that the team will likely be without three key players for the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season.
The Los Angeles Lakers need all hands on deck if they want to end the 2023-24 regular season on a high note before potentially going on a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, accomplishing that goal will be easier said than done following the latest bad news to hit the Lakers locker room.
CBS Sports' Bill Reiter reported on Wednesday that the Lakers will likely be without Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, and Gabe Vincent for "the rest of the season." Reiter didn't clarify if that also includes the playoffs, however, it's clear that Los Angeles will likely be without the trio for the foreseeable future.
Sources tell @CBSSports that Los Angeles Lakers players Christian Wood, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent will miss the rest of the season. While Vanderbilt still could return, sources say, the expectation is that will not happen. @espn first reported the news on Wood.
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) March 19, 2024
Lakers Injury News: Vanderbilt, Wood, and Vincent Out for Remainder of Season
Vanderbilt, Wood, and Vincent are far from the best that the Lakers' roster has to offer, but that doesn't change the fact that three season-ending injuries hurt a lot before the playoffs. After all, LeBron James (39) and Anthony Davis (31) aren't getting any younger, meaning it's best to have as many ready reinforcements as possible.
It's safe to say that the first year of Vincent's three-year, $33 million deal with the Lakers was disappointing. The 27-year-old guard has been limited to just five games due to a knee injury that he suffered in the preseason. He only averaged 5.4 points and 3.0 assists when he was healthy enough to play, highlighting how much the injury held him back.
Wood was also disappointing in his first year in Los Angeles. The ex-UNLV product was averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds with underwhelming .466/.307/.702 shooting splits before suffering a knee injury last month and it was confirmed on Monday that Wood must now undergo surgery to address the issue.
Reiter did say that one of his sources indicated that Vanderbilt "could return" this season, but the consensus is that's a long shot. The Houston, TX native has been sidelined since Feb. 3 with a foot sprain and hasn't been progressing through rehab as expected. He's averaging 5.2 points on 51.8% shooting, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 29 games so far.
Following the franchise's latest injury news, the Lakers now hold the 14th-best odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Finals on FanDuel Sportsbook. Hopefully, Los Angeles remains healthy for the rest of the year because it can't afford to add any more names to its injury list.
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