Back on Feb. 21, the Lakers reportedly felt Wood’s knee soreness was relatively minor and that he’d be back in action in a couple of weeks. It obviously hasn’t healed to expectations.
Wood appeared in 50 of the team’s first 56 games, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per night in his first season with the Lakers. He hasn’t played since Feb. 14.
Wood surprisingly remained on the free agent market until early September last year, when the Lakers signed him to a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract. He holds a $3MM option on his contract for next season.
Wood and the Mavericks failed to reach an extension agreement last season and he didn’t get the type of offers normally conveyed to players who averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds during their walk year.
The Lakers currently hold the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Wood probably won’t be available until later in the postseason, if the Lakers advance.
]]>“Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”
While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.
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Norman Powell left Friday’s game against New Orleans on crutches and won’t play due tonight due to a left leg contusion. Terance Mann limped into the locker room during the first half on Friday but is in the starting lineup. Russell Westbrook is still out with a fractured left hand.
James Harden was listed as questionable but will play despite with a strained left shoulder. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are also showing signs of wear after a rugged stretch of the schedule.
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The injury occurred in the first half when Davis was accidentally hit in the face by Trayce Jackson-Davis while making a layup. He was able to play a few more minutes, but was eventually removed and declared out for the second half.
Davis suffered from impaired vision and his eye was swollen shut, a source tells McMenamin (Twitter link). He will be monitored tonight and Sunday before a determination is made about whether he can play Monday against Atlanta.
While there’s no indication that this will be a long-term injury, ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out that Davis is just shy of the 65-game minimum needed to qualify for postseason awards and All-NBA honors (Twitter link). He was at 64 games before tonight, including the finals of the in-season tournament, but he only played 12 minutes and the league requires at least 15 for the game to count toward the total.
Davis is averaging 24.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 blocks, so he’s a strong candidate for one of the All-NBA teams if he qualifies.
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“Slower pace, style of play, competitive intensity, officiating focus have been contributing factors identified so far,” the NBA said.
According to Woj, the league also stated one focus area for the meeting was centered on offensive players “hunting for fouls and veering off paths into defenders.” That has also been a point of emphasis for officials — and a “contributing factor” in the reduced scoring output of late.
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Russell claims he was “the scapegoat” for that series, which saw Denver sweep Los Angeles, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“(Schröder’s) relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said. “When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it.
“And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”
As McMenamin writes, Russell initially wasn’t enthusiastic about re-signing with L.A. as a free agent last summer, apparently in part due to the presence of Schröder. But on the first day of free agency, the Lakers wound up signing Gabe Vincent and Schröder signed with Toronto (he has since been traded to Brooklyn). Russell inked a two-year deal with the Lakers the following day.
The Lakers and Russell reached a compromise on that contract — he got a player option for 2024/25, but he also waived his ability to veto a trade.
Russell was featured prominently in trade rumors for months leading up to last month’s deadline, McMenamin notes, but the Lakers wound up keeping him because he’s been playing so well of late — since January 13, a span of 27 games (36.1 MPG), the 28-year-old is averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.4 APG and 3.2 RPG with a highly efficient .472/.452/.840 shooting line.
If he maintains that level of play in the postseason, Russell could very well decline his $18.7MM player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent again in 2024.
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Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported on Monday during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back (Twitter video link) that Vincent had progressed to “conditioning and ramping up,” adding that he could return to action as soon as next week. While that remains possible, Ham’s update on Tuesday suggests that the veteran still isn’t taking contact, so he has a little more work to do before he’s ready to suit up.
Vincent, who received a three-year deal worth most of the Lakers’ mid-level exception this season, has been limited to just five appearances due to health issues after having been an important part of Miami’s rotation during the team’s NBA Finals run last spring. He’s owed guaranteed salaries of $11MM in 2024/25 and $11.5MM in ’25/26.
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“I felt it at times out there,” Davis said. “I still kind of feel it.”
McMenamin notes that the seven steals were a career high for Davis, and the 25 rebounds fell one short of his career-best mark. He has played a huge role in the Lakers’ recent surge, which has them six games over .500 and within two games of sixth place.
“I think we’re hitting our stride right now,” Davis said. “We’re just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it’s tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series. … We like our chances against anybody at that point.”
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“I’m not gonna lie to you, having been a high-usage offensive guy my entire career, even when I was a kid, I kind of dreamed of those moments in terms of hitting the shot, not necessarily getting the block,” Dinwiddie said. “But it feels pretty much just as sweet.”
Dinwiddie hasn’t gotten many moments to savor since signing with L.A. last month after Toronto traded for him at the deadline and waived him the same day. Friday marked his first start in 11 games with the Lakers, and it only happened because LeBron James was sidelined with a left ankle issue. Dinwiddie is averaging just 5.4 PPG and shooting 37% from the field with the Lakers, and he understands that he has to earn a steady role with his new team.
“It’s not a trade where it opened up a bunch of shots or opportunity or whatever,” Dinwiddie said. “… I was coming to like set-in-stone teams. And so it’s just a little bit different of a situation.”
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“That’s D-Lo man, just play-making, constantly thinking the game,” head coach Darvin Ham said, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. “He kept his word when I told him to take over the game. I told him in the first half, stay aggressive. I need you to be aggressive all night. And he did that.”
Russell is averaging 18.1 points and 6.2 assists per game this season while knocking down a career-best 42.4% of his 6.7 three-point attempts per contest.
“On the floor, I’ve always felt like I was capable of doing things, [and] getting hot makes it a little more exciting,” Russell said. “Off the floor, obviously you all know what I’ve been through. Public humiliation has done nothing but mold me into the killer that you all see today. I never lack confidence. I never fear confrontation. I want all the smoke. … I just feel confident in what I bring to the basketball game, so whatever room I walk in, I’m confident.”
The Lakers re-signed Russell last offseason and he holds an $18.7MM player option for next season. While the Lakers reportedly explored trading Russell at the deadline, reports suggested the guard was more valuable to them than other teams. Given that he’s averaging 21.6 points after the deadline, it’ll be interesting to monitor how other teams value him in the offseason.
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If that timeline is accurate, Curry would likely miss at least three games, and possibly a fourth next Saturday vs. the Lakers. We won’t know that for sure until we see how the 35-year-old heals over the coming days, but Curry has already been ruled out for Saturday’s contest vs. San Antonio, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
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Marks and McMenamin break down James’ contract options this summer, exploring his maximum salaries with the Lakers (via either opt-in and extension or a new free agent contract) or a new team. As they point out, LeBron won’t be able to sign a contract longer than three years due to the Over-38 rule, though that probably would’ve been an unlikely outcome for the 39-year-old anyway.
ESPN’s reporters also note that the Lakers would be able to offer James a no-trade clause if he turns down his player option and signs a new contract. A team can give a player a no-trade clause if he signs as a free agent after spending at least eight years in the NBA and four with his current team. Bradley Beal is the only other player in the league who has one.
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