The Los Angeles Lakers will take to the road this week with a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, but they are going to be short-handed. The Lakers are already without Austin Reaves due to a calf injury, and Deandre Ayton was the latest player to be ruled out for the game against the Jazz.
Deandre Ayton was listed on the Lakers’ injury report as dealing with left elbow soreness. Following the Jazz game, the Lakers return to Los Angeles for a ‘road’ game against the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. That is when a firm update on Ayton will likely occur.
With Ayton out, the Lakers will turn to Jaxson Hayes in the starting lineup, but veteran big man Maxi Kleber might see backup minutes. Kleber was upgraded on the injury report to probable after being sidelined recently due to a muscle strain.
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Kleber has played decently in the limited minutes he’s gotten this season. The last time the Lakers visited the Jazz, Kleber sealed the win with a late-game dunk, and then a solid contest on a potential game-winning shot from Keyonte George.
During that game, Ayton suffered a knee injury that ultimately saw him ruled out for the remainder of the matchup, paving the way for Kleber’s crunch time minutes. That injury caused him to miss only his second game of the season so far a few days later against the Clippers.
To this point, Ayton has been exactly what the Lakers have needed from the starting center position. He’s been averaging 15.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots while shooting 71 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from the free-throw line. He signed with the Lakers in the offseason after reaching a contract buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers.