Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers will be without standout guard Austin Reaves for at least one week after he was diagnosed with a mild strain in his left calf, the team announced Friday. He will be re-evaluated after the seven-day window, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
Los Angeles has only two games during that period—Sunday at Phoenix and next Thursday in Utah—and Reaves is expected to miss both. The third-year guard is off to a career-best start, averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 36.9 minutes while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. He has appeared in 21 contests, having previously sat out three in early November with a groin ailment.
With Reaves sidelined, Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart are in line for additional backcourt minutes, and LeBron James is expected to assume more playmaking duties.
San Antonio Spurs
Rookie center Victor Wembanyama is listed as probable for Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinal against Oklahoma City and is expected to play, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. The 7-foot-4 star has missed the past 12 games after straining his left calf on November 14.
Before the injury, Wembanyama averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.6 blocks while San Antonio opened the season 8-4. Saturday could mark the first time Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper share the floor.
Off the court, the Spurs signed guard Kyle Mangas to a two-way contract and waived Riley Minix to clear a roster spot, according to NBA transaction logs cited by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Mangas, an undrafted product of Indiana Wesleyan, is averaging 18.5 points and 5.0 assists through 10 games with the G League’s Austin Spurs. Minix averaged 15.5 points in the G League and appeared in four NBA games for San Antonio.
Free-Agent Watch
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus released an updated ranking of the top 20 available free agents, led by Malik Beasley, Ben Simmons and Tristen Newton. Newton has seen limited NBA action but is posting 26.3 points and 8.1 assists in the G League this season.
The Lakers will re-examine Reaves next week, while the Spurs anticipate Wembanyama’s first appearance in nearly a month as San Antonio pursues an NBA Cup berth.
Source: Hoops Wire
