Lakers Injury Report: 3 LA Big Men Ruled Out for Season Opener

The Los Angeles Lakers' 2024-25 regular season commences on Tuesday.

Dec 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood (35) and forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) play for the rebound against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers' season commences on Tuesday, and while the excitement of the brand-new NBA season is at an all-time high, L.A. will be without three key players to start the season.

Ahead of their game against the new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers will be without Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, and Christian Koloko. L.A. does not have anyone else currently on the injury report for Tuesday.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic shared the news via Twitter/X.

The Lakers announce Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Christian Koloko (two-way) are out tomorrow vs. Minnesota. No one else is listed on the injury report.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 22, 2024

The news regarding Vanderbilt doesn't come as a shock. A couple of days ago,ESPN's Dave McMenamin shared that head coach JJ Redick said Vanderbilt would miss the season's first game.

"Jarred Vanderbilt continues to progress towards a return, according to JJ Redick, however he will continue to rehab for at least the next two weeks, which will cause him to miss the start of the regular season on Oct 22," McMenamin wrote.

Vanderbilt is still recovering from foot surgery he underwent in the offseason. He last played on Feb 1, against the Boston Celtics, when he injured his foot.

Last season, the defensive-minded forward only played in 29 games due to heel and foot injuries. It's been quite a struggle for Vanderbilt, but the hope is that he will be back on the court soon, ready to contribute to the team in a big way.

Redick said that Vanderbilt would be a big part of what the team does this upcoming season; however, he needs to stay healthy in order to do just that.

Wood is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained in early September. His timeline is about eight weeks, so he has roughly two more weeks until he can get back on the court.

Wood could play a significant role in the team, especially as a big man, besides superstar Anthony Davis. With his ability to stretch the floor, grab rebounds, and block shots, Wood is a much-needed piece for the Lakers.

Davis is expected to carry much of the load in the front court to start the season with Wood and Vanderbilt out. Nonetheless, this isn't anything new to Davis, who did most of the center work last season.

The final player on the injury report is a two-way player, Christian Koloko. Koloko was forced to go on the NBA’s fitness-to-play list after he was diagnosed with blood clots that were considered life-threatening.

The hope is that Koloko will play soon and eventually crack the lineup if all pans out.

More Lakers: Newest Lakers Signing Has Gone From Viral Meme to Prospect on the Rise