JJ Redick
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Lakers head coach JJ Redick during a game against the Charlotte Hornets in January 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into Saturday’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers with growing uncertainty in the frontcourt, as injuries continue to strain an already fragile rotation.
On Friday’s injury report, the Lakers confirmed that Luka Doncic will be out due to left groin soreness, following several days of mounting concern around the Slovenian’s health.
While Doncic’s absence is the headline, the issues run deeper than the backcourt, with centers DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes both listed as questionable.
Ayton is dealing with left knee soreness, while Hayes is managing left hamstring tendinopathy, leaving the Lakers potentially exposed in the paint.
Lakers Facing Frontcourt Depth Questions
Against Portland, the Lakers could be without multiple rotation pieces, significantly thinning their interior options.
Ayton has been a steady presence this season, appearing in 35 games while averaging 13.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 29.4 minutes per game.
Hayes, operating primarily as the back-up, has provided energy and rim protection in shorter stints, averaging 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 17.6 minutes.
Hayes suffered his injury during the Lakers’ recent loss to the Sacramento Kings and has missed the two games since. His questionable status represents a positive development, particularly after head coach JJ Redick highlighted his recent impact.
“Jaxson as of late. He’s now stacked three, four, five games in a row where he’s just played great on both ends and that’s been really big for us,” Redick said.
Ayton’s sudden appearance on the injury report, however, leaves the Lakers with little margin for error.
If both big men are unavailable, Los Angeles may be forced to rely heavily on Maxi Kleber as its lone source of size in the paint against Portland.
Two-way big Drew Timme could also see extended minutes, or the Lakers may be pushed into small-ball lineups.
Lakers Weigh Health Concerns and Heavy Workloads
While the frontcourt issues are immediate, Doncic’s absence highlights a broader concern.
He’s coming off a 39-point performance in Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, adding three rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes, but has been openly managing discomfort over the past week.
“Yeah, I was really uncertain,” Doncic told reporters following Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings. “Before the game warming up, I felt something. I was just trying to get warm and get going. But tomorrow, we will see how I wake up.”
When ESPN’s Dave McMenamin pressed further on whether the issue was related to his inner thigh or groin, the 26-year-old offered little clarity, saying it was “somewhere in there.”
Less than a day later, Doncic appeared on the injury report ahead of the second night of a back-to-back against the Atlanta Hawks. Initially listed as questionable, he was cleared to play and logged another heavy workload in a 141-116 win.
“I don’t know. For me, I want to play,” he said postgame, via Lakers Nation. “I obviously wasn’t feeling 100%, but in my head, I always want to play.”
He later added, “It’s a little bit worse than yesterday.”
Doncic has been carrying an enormous offensive load, averaging a league-high 33.6 points per game while playing the fourth-highest minutes total in the NBA at 36.4 per night.
With the Lakers ranking near the bottom of the league in bench production and defensive metrics, the strain on their stars has become increasingly difficult to manage.
That pressure has only intensified amid recent results. Los Angeles has lost eight of its past 13 games, falling to 24-15 and sixth in a tightly packed Western Conference.
With injuries mounting and depth being tested nightly, the Lakers’ margin for error continues to shrink.