The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their losing streak, ending the slide at four games with a 114-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 23. But they did it without key free agent acquisition Gabe Vincent, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract this past offseason.
Vincent has missed all but five games this season, and he could be set to miss a lot more.
“Gabe Vincent is considering a surgical procedure on his left knee that would keep him sidelined for 6-to-8 weeks,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin posted on X ahead of the win over OKC. “Vincent’s camp is exhausting all other options before settling on surgery.”
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham addressed the potential loss before the win.
“You just have to make sure everything is well and good with him and his health first and foremost,” Ham said via Spectrum SportsNet on December 23. “And then you just try to activate Plan B, which is next man up, so to speak.
“Out No. 1, top priority is just to make sure that we know what’s going on with him, and put him in a position where he can get healthy.”
Vincent, 27, is averaging 5.0 points, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 rebounds in his few appearances this season.
He had three points, three assists, and one board in just under 14 minutes versus the Chicago Bulls on December 20. That was his first game in nearly two months, and one game after he had hoped to get back on the floor.
