The Los Angeles Lakers injury report listed five players absent from their recent game against the Denver Nuggets. Guard Patrick Beverley joined that list when he left the Nuggets’ matchup with a hip injury.
Beverley played just 12 minutes and exited after grabbing one rebound and missing his only shot attempt. His absence meant more minutes for guards Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, Kendrick Nunn and Max Christie.
While his hip seems to be fine, Beverley missed the Lakers’ practice on Wednesday for another reason, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
Patrick Beverley missed Wednesday’s practice with a non-COVID illness, per Darvin Ham. Beverley’s hip injury he sustained in Denver has not lingered, however, per Ham.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 11, 2023
Beverley seems to have caught the bug that is going around the Lakers and the league. Anthony Davis missed a game in December because of an illness and LeBron James missed a game in Miami last week because of it.
The Lakers play on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks then have two days off until their next game. If he has to miss Thursday’s game because of an illness, it gives Beverley enough time to heal his hip too. However, Ham pointed out that his hip injury has not bothered him which is good to see.
After a nightmare start to the season offensively, Beverley had rounded out into better form the last month. He shot 41.2% from deep in December after never shooting above 27% in the previous two months.
A key defensive player, missing Beverley for an extended period of time could hurt the Lakers. The next 24 hours will be crucial to figure out Beverley’s availability against the Mavericks.
Knicks seeking two second-round picks for Cam Reddish
If there ever was a favorite trade target for the Lakers in the last year, Knicks forward Cam Reddish could be part of the group. The former No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft hasn’t played in 18 games and his time in New York seems to be coming to an end.
L.A. is interested in acquiring Reddish, a wing with strong 3-point shooting that can complement the roster. The Knicks asking price seems to have been revealed recently with two second-round picks being enough to get the deal done.
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