Correction: This story originally contained a report from CBS Sports' Bill Reiter stating that team sources expected Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood to miss the remainder of the season.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent could return to the team this weekend after missing more than three months with a knee injury. Vincent is listed as questionable for the Lakers' game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Vincent has played in just five games this season and has not appeared since Dec. 20. Vincent, 27, signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Lakers last offseason after becoming a contributor for the Miami Heat. His return would give the Lakers a potential shooting option off the bench, though Vincent only hit two of his 17 3-point attempts so far in an L.A. uniform.
The Lakers have tightened their grip on the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, and are currently set to host the Warriors in the Play-In Tournament. The Lakers went from the Play-In Tournament to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and they're hoping a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis can make another run in 2024.
Ham says there is also a chance that injured forward Jarred Vanderbilt could return before the end of the regular season. Vanderbilt is working his way back from a foot injury and recently began running.
When healthy, Vanderbilt is L.A.'s best perimeter defender, and since he's been sidelined, the Lakers defense has ranked near the bottom in the league. When he was on the floor this season, the Lakers defense allowed six fewer points per 100 possessions compared to when he was on the bench.
