Lakers News: Latest Buzz on Isaiah Thomas Injury, Brandon Ingram and More
Officially eliminated from playoff contention, the conversation surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers once again turns to the future.
With the Lakers once again tabbed on the speculation market as major players for big-name free agents this offseason, fans know the approach over the last several years isn't changing much. If said big name doesn't want to come to town, the Lakers will keep leaning on their budding young core of prospects.
The Lonzo Ball-led core helped the team improve this year and isn't done just yet, meaning the rest of the regular season once again becomes a showcase for young talent provided everyone can get healthy and on the floor.
Lakers Call Up Talent
With a few different players dealing with injuries on top of the fact the Lakers need to see what they have in the pipelines, it only makes sense for the front office to call up some players to close out the regular season.
The Lakers did so Monday, bringing up Thomas Bryant and Gary Payton II, according to South Bay Lakers:
Both prospects made brief, scoreless appearances the same night in the team's 112-106 road loss at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. The coaching staff wasn't going to heavily lean on them the same day of the call-up, though, especially not with Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle posting 20-plus nights.
Bryant was the Lakers' No. 42 pick in the second round a year ago and made his 11th appearance for the team Monday. Payton inked a two-way deal with the team last January and has appeared in 12 games.
While both guys have torn it up with South Bay, it will be interesting to see how much playing time they get to close the campaign as the Lakers cover all their bases in what is clearly an evaluation period before heading into the offseason.
Brandon Ingram Update
The Lakers haven't had Brandon Ingram on the floor much since the start of March, hence the fading spot in the standings and the record hovering around .500 since the month began.
It's not easy for a rebuilding team like the Lakers to lose the guy tied for the team lead in scoring, and perhaps more importantly, it hurts the evaluation period as the Lakers try to see what their current starting lineup can do to close the season.
The Lakers at least sound hopeful Ingram can get back soon based on comments from head coach Luke Walton, captured by Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet:
Ingram last played on March 1, a 19-point performance in a 131-113 win over the Miami Heat. He suffered a groin injury and hasn't hit the court since, freezing his numbers at averages of 16.2 points, 3.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the floor and 38 percent from deep, both drastic improvements over the numbers from his rookie year.
Granted, Ingram will likely be on a minutes cap if he returns, but fans wouldn't mind seeing the future of the franchise one more time, and the coaches will have to be careful with him to ensure their core piece doesn't suffer another injury setback heading into a critical offseason.
Isaiah Thomas Injury
Lakers fans had to know the addition of Isaiah Thomas would add another wrinkle to the intrigue surrounding the team each day.
As expected, Thomas has created waves of headlines since arriving in Los Angeles, the most recent stemming from a hip injury.
While he tried to tough through the issue, Thomas wound up leaving the team to seek out options for treatment, according to Trudell:
Thomas tried to play through the injury knowing he's heading to free agency this offseason and in the process put up averages of 15.6 points and 5.0 assists per game over 17 appearances with the Lakers, an upgrade on his odd time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers might simply shut Thomas down for the rest of the season at this point, which could benefit him as well if he can get healthy as he heads to the open market.
Thomas, though, hasn't ruled out a return to the Lakers.
"I like it here, I like the situation I'm in, the system, coaching staff," Thomas said, according to the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli. "Organization's been great to me. If things work out I would love to be here."
The price will have to be right for both parties, and much of it could hinge on if the Lakers can lure bigger pieces to town. Thomas is 29 years old and has plenty to offer if he's 100 percent, but he could be looking at a brief prove-it deal after his odd campaign this year.
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