The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Mar. 13 that Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber, and Jaxson Hayes were ruled out for their recent game against the Chicago Bulls due to injuries. The team has been improving in recent weeks with several wins over playoff-level opponents but continues to manage player health as nearly every rotation member has missed time during the current season.
Head coach JJ Redick said before the win that Smart was given a night off to allow his hip to heal and expressed hope that he could return for Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. “Smart has been kind of dealing with his hip for a couple games now,” Redick said before the win. “He wants to play, but really, we just need it to calm down. We got a really tough stretch, we’re in a tough stretch with some travel coming up. He’s day-to-day, we expect him to hopefully be back on Saturday against Denver.”
Redick also addressed Kleber’s status, noting uncertainty about how long he would be sidelined due to a recurring back issue. “Maxi has an issue that flared up earlier in the season in December and it’s flared up again,” Redick said. “He’s had some good days, he’s had some bad days. He’s probably gonna be out for a little bit just so we can get this to calm down.”
Regarding Hayes, Redick explained that further information is pending following medical imaging: “Jaxson got imaging today, we have not gotten the results of that yet, so nothing to really report there.”
The absence of all three players affects the Lakers’ rotation depth as they approach a challenging part of their schedule with significant travel ahead. LeBron James recently returned from his own absence, providing some relief for the roster.
Looking forward, Redick remains hopeful about Smart’s quick return while awaiting updates on Kleber and Hayes. The team will rely on its available players as it continues its push through the remainder of the season.
