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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
Already navigating early-season injuries to the roster, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered another setback Friday when forward Rui Hachimura underwent a procedure to repair a nasal fracture, the team announced.
Hachimura did not accompany the team on its four-game trip starting in Cleveland on Saturday and continuing through Philadelphia, Detroit and Oklahoma City. He will be reevaluated by team doctors in about a week, the Lakers said.
The injury occurred late in the first quarter of Wednesday’s 104-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in which Hachimura had nine points on 4-of-11 shooting and three rebounds in 26 minutes.
After a slow start to the season, including suffering a concussion Oct. 29 against the Sacramento Kings that caused him to miss four games, Hachimura had started to look like the impact player he showed he was capable of being during last season’s playoffs. Since returning from the concussion, he had averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in his previous eight games heading into the loss to the Mavericks.
Los Angeles signed Hachimura to a three-year, $51 million contract extension, and LeBron James has embraced the five-year veteran as his “understudy.”
Losing Hachimura is another blow to a Lakers team that is still waiting on defensive stopper Jarred Vanderbilt (heel bursitis) to make his season debut and has been without guard Gabe Vincent for three weeks because of left knee swelling.
Starting forward Cam Reddish also missed the Dallas game because of soreness in his left groin, though he is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Cavaliers.
The Lakers continue to designate James as questionable with a left calf contusion and Anthony Davis as probable with discomfort in his left hip.