Deandre Ayton sat out the Jazz with an elbow injury
The Los Angeles Lakers will hit the road this week against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, but they will be short. The The Lakers are already without Austin Reaves due to a calf injuryand Deandre Ayton was the newest player to turn off for the game against the Jazz.
Deandre Ayton is listed on the Lakers’ injury report as dealing with soreness in his left elbow. After the Jazz game, the Lakers return to Los Angeles for a “road” game against the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome. Then there will probably be a full update to Aiton.
With Ayton out, the Lakers will turn to Jackson Hayes in the starting lineup, but veteran big man Maxi Kleber could see reserve minutes. Kleber was upgraded on the injury report to probable after being ruled out recently with a muscle strain.
Kleber has played decently in the limited minutes he’s gotten this season. The last time the Lakers visited the Jazz, Kleber sealed the victory with a late-game dunk and then a solid layup on a potential game-winning layup by Keyonta George.
During that game, Ayton suffered a knee injury that eventually ruled him out for the rest of the match, paving the way for Kleber’s short minutes. That injury caused him to miss just the second game of the season a few days later against the Clippers.
Up until this point, Ayton was exactly what the Lakers needed from the starting center position. He averaged 15.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 71 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from the free throw line. He signed with the Lakers in the offseason after buying out his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.
2025-12-18 01:35:00
