A pair of key Los Angeles Lakers contributors could rejoin the injury-plagued squad in time for its Wednesday rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves, against whom LA exacted some level of revenge Friday for a five-game first-round playoff obliteration last spring.
Behind a 49-point masterpiece from five-time All-NBA First Team Lakers guard Luka Doncic, Los Angeles blew the doors off Minnesota, 128-110. Now, of course, Doncic is on the shelf with two injuries incurred during that effort.
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According to the league’s latest injury report, three-time All-Defensive Team guard Marcus Smart and backup center Jaxson Hayes, who missed Monday night’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, have both had their statuses tentatively updated to merely questionable to suit up against Minnesota.
Hayes has been grappling with a left patellar tendinopathy, while Smart exited the Lakers’ 127-120 win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday with a right quad contusion.
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Second-year Lakers head coach JJ Redick had hinted that he at least anticipates both Smart and Hayes will be available for Los Angeles at some point during the club’s impending road trip, which tips off on Wednesday.
“Hopeful on Jaxson,” Redick said, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. “Hopeful on Marcus. Yeah, hopeful. We’ll see.”
In addition to Doncic (left finger sprain and lower left leg contusion), key defense-first guard Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) are both out. So a return for Smart would be huge for the Lakers’ ailing backcourt.
The 6-foot-3 Oklahoma State product, 31, had bounced around between the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards for the last few seasons after being traded away from the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2023. After missing all but 54 games across the past two years due to injuries, he has been fitfully available for Los Angeles already this year. In 21.7 minutes a night across his last two games (one start), Smart has been averaging 6.0 points on .500/.250/.750 shooting splits, 1.5 steals and 0.5 dimes a night.
Hayes, still just 25, has appeared in just one game for Los Angeles, its opening night loss to the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday. In 14 minutes of action backing up starter Deandre Ayton, the 7-footer out of the University of Texas at Austin notched four points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor, six rebounds and an assist.
Beyond James and Hayes, LA is also without frontcourt pieces Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) and rookie Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery).
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