Christian

Wood

Wood, who hasn’t played yet in 2024-25, is experiencing soreness after beginning his ramp up for a return to the hardwood. The Lakers’ reserve big man is likely a while away from being a serviceable fantasy asset this season.

During Lakers media day, Wood said he believed he has two more weeks of rehab and a two-week ramp-up process before he can play. While optimistic, this timeline does not align with the reports after his September knee surgery. At the time, it was stated that Wood would be re-evaluated in eight weeks, meaning he wouldn’t be ready for the start of the regular season. With this being the second procedure on Wood’s knee in the last calendar year, the Lakers exercising caution would be unsurprising. With Jarred Vanderbilt (feet) also sidelined, Jaxson Hayes should have opportunities during the preseason to earn rotation minutes.

Wood missed the final two months of last season after undergoing surgery on his left knee, and now he’ll have another procedure on the same knee that will force him to miss the start of the season. He’ll be re-evaluated in early November, which means that Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt will likely see a few extra minutes to start the season at center behind Anthony Davis.

Wood has not appeared in a game since February 14, so inserting him into a game of this magnitude may have been far-fetched. Lakers coach Darvin Ham stuck with his usual nine-man rotation, which may be the case as long as this series continues. Game 5 is on Monday in Denver.

Wood will be available to play for the first time since before the All-Star break. However, Jaxson Hayes wasn’t in the rotation in Game 3, and they may not want to include Wood in their rotation in an elimination game. He will be available if needed, but he may not see the floor.

Wood has been sidelined for over a month and initially was targeting a return in Game 3. He could end up making his return on Saturday, though he will only see a limited role off the bench.

Wood hoped to return to the hardwood for Game 3 but needs more time to recover from the knee surgery he underwent. Jaxson Hayes will continue backing up Anthony Davis at center in the meantime.

Wood had an arthroscopic procedure in the middle of March on his left knee and has been sidelined since then. He will be out for Game 2 on Monday, but he is expected to be back in the lineup when the series shifts to Los Angeles. He may fill some of the backup center minutes, but he didn’t do much in either of his appearances against Denver this season.

Wood has not appeared in a game since Valentine’s Day. While his absence hasn’t impacted fantasy basketball, it has affected a Lakers rotation that is light on bodies in the post. With the veteran center expected to miss “several weeks,” the question is whether or not he’ll be healthy for the postseason. Jaxson Hayes will continue to serve as Anthony Davis’s backup.

Wood’s absence will not impact fantasy basketball, as he has been on the back end of the rotation most nights when healthy. However, his absence means that the Lakers will lack depth behind Jaxson Hayes, who will be Anthony Davis’s primary backup. Hayes’s minutes are unlikely to increase much (if at all), as Davis is listed as probable and should be cleared to play.