Like Rajon Rondo a day before him, the Los Angeles Lakers assigned Brandon Ingram to South Bay on a rehab assignment. Ingram has not played since suffering a sprained left ankle in the first quarter of a Dec. 5 game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers did not provide a timeline for Ingram’s return at the time he suffered the injury, though head coach Luke Walton said landing on LaMarcus Aldrdige’s foot “got him pretty good.” The third-year forward was re-evaluated over the weekend and deemed day-to-day.
That was followed by Walton expressing hope that Ingram and Rondo would return to action Friday when the Lakers host the New Orleans Pelicans. The respective injuries mark a second time this season both have missed time.
The first case was due to suspensions over their involvement in a scuffle with Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets.
Ingram is averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.7 minutes per game through 20 starts this season. He was inserted back into the lineup after serving a four-game suspension, as the Lakers opted to go big with Ingram at shooting guard.
While there hasn’t been any indication one way or the other, Ingram potentially coming off the bench could be beneficial for him and the team. He’s struggled thus far to play with LeBron James, and anchoring the second unit would allow for Ingram to be the primary option.