Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided an update regarding center Deandre Ayton’s knee injury on Tuesday.
Redick said that an MRI on Ayton’s knee came back “clean” and the team is hopeful that can return by the end of the week, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The 27-year-old suffered the injury in the first quarter of Los Angeles’ 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
He appeared to sustain the injury after colliding with Jazz forward Ace Bailey, initially playing through the knee issue before he was eventually forced to exit the contest in the second quarter.
“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it,” Redick explained after the game, per McMenamin. “And then couldn’t go in the second half.”
Ayton was later ruled out of Los Angeles’ clash with the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft is starting his first season as a member of the Lakers after signing a two-year contract to join the team as a free agent in July.
Ayton has been an important piece of Los Angeles’ 12-4 start to the year, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game. He’s also operated as an efficient scorer inside the arc, shooting 69.6 percent from the field.
While Ayton’s exact return date is still uncertain, he seems to have avoided a serious injury.
