Lakers Injury Report: New Details Emerge On Jaden McDaniels' Ailing Hand

The Timberwolves' starting small forward is out tonight.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be missing at least two starters and one crucial backup big man during their play-in game against your Los Angeles Lakers tonight. There's also a decent chance that neither starting power forward Karl-Anthony Towns nor key reserve shooting guard Jaylen Nowell are available.

Sources informed plugged-in experts that McDaniels had broken his hand during the Timberwolves' season finale, a 113-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans that improved their record to 42-40 on the year. Finally, Minnesota confirmed this in a press release yesterday. Per the Timberwolves, the team's 6'9" starting small forward fractured the third and fourth metacarpals of his right hand, which is now in a cast. 

He is considered out indefinitely, and will almost certainly miss the entire postseason for as long as Minnesota survives.

McDaniels, 22, had been enjoying a breakout third NBA season, his first as a full-time starter. Across regular season games, the Washington alum averaged 12.1 points on .517/.398/.736 shooting splits, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.9 steals per contest. He was also a versatile defender for Minnesota.

A short-handed Timberwolves team will now need all the offensive firepower it can get against a Lakers club that will most likely have everyone available, playing at Crypto.com Arena with a probable free throw advantage.

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