The Los Angeles Lakers will return home after going 4-2 on a six-game road trip and winning each of their last three contests. However, their first game back in L.A. will be difficult, as they will host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
It will be their first game after the Feb. 8 trade deadline passes, and much attention has been focused on D’Angelo Russell. Many have wondered if he will still be in a Lakers uniform for that game, given all the rumors he has been involved in.
However, there is a chance Russell won’t play versus Denver for another reason.
Head coach Darvin Ham said on Wednesday that the guard underwent what he termed a “tune-up procedure” that prevented him from participating in practice.
Here is the full video exchange of Darvin Ham revealing that D’Angelo Russell underwent a procedure yesterday (the team has since clarified that it was a treatment): pic.twitter.com/Hc4ZZooHNA
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) February 7, 2024
Russell is having another excellent season, averaging 17.3 points and 6.2 assists a game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 41.6% from 3-point range. He put up 28 points and six dimes in Monday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.
The Lakers clarified Russell's status
The word “procedure” will likely spook Lakers fans, especially given the team’s injury woes over the years. However, there may not be that much reason for concern, according to a team spokesman.
A team spokesperson for the Lakers clarified that D’Angelo Russell underwent a “treatment” rather than a procedure. Russell will likely be listed as questionable for the DEN game, a source familiar with his status told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 7, 2024
Los Angeles is in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 27-25 record and is 3.5 games behind the fifth-place Sacramento Kings.
