Lakers big man Christian Wood — who has not played since the All-Star break with a knee issue — will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, and it’s unclear if he will return before the postseason.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin broke the story, which has since been confirmed by other sources.
ESPN Sources with @McTen: Los Angeles Lakers F Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks. The Lakers final regular season game is April 14. pic.twitter.com/4SVNc3qJO4
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 19, 2024
If Woods cannot return before the play-in it would leave the Lakers thin at center heading into the postseason, with Anthony Davis as the starter and Jaxson Hayes behind him and no margin for error.
Woods has had stretches of impressive offensive play this season but has not been a consistent fit in Darvin Ham’s rotations, partly because he doesn’t bring much defense to the table. In the 50 games he played this season Woods averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, shooting 30.7% from 3.
The Lakers signed Woods last summer to a two-year veteran minimum contract and he has a $3 million player option for next season.
