The Los Angeles Lakers will be without guard Gabe Vincent for the next 2 to 4 weeks as he nurses a left ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The guard initially suffered the injury against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, exiting the game immediately and being ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Vincent left the stadium in a walking boot following the Lakers’ 127-120 win.
Vincent’s absence is awful news for the Lakers, who are already low on depth early in the season. The Lakers ruled out seven players ahead of their matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, with the likes of Vincent, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Adou Thiero, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber and Marcus Smart all missing the contest.
Vincent has been an important role player for the Lakers, playing 19 or more minutes in all of the Lakers’ first three games this season. Before his exit in Sunday’s game, he recorded three points, one rebound and one assist.
The Lakers signed Vincent in free agency after the 2022-23 season, however, he struggled with injury upon arriving to Los Angeles. A knee injury kept Vincent out for all but 11 games of the 2023-24 season, but he made a strong comeback in 2024-25. Last season, Vincent featured in 72 games, averaging 6.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 21.2 minutes per night. With both Vincent and Doncic missing from the lineup, the Lakers will need Austin Reaves to continue the hot run he is on in the young 2025-26 season. Through the first three games of this season, Reaves is averaging 34 points, 7.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game.
In Vincent’s place, Dalton Knecht will likely get some playing time, as could Bronny James. The second-year guards opened Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers on the bench.
The Lakers need depth now more than ever, and will hope Vincent can recover quickly to aid their injury-plagued roster this early in the season.
