Report: Lakers' Kyle Kuzma out indefinitely with stress reaction in left foot
It might be a while before Kyle Kuzma is able to rejoin the Los Angeles Lakers.
After previously having dealt with an injury from his stint with USA Basketball, Kuzma has now been ruled out indefinitely by the Lakers with a stress reaction in his left foot, according to The New York Times’ Marc Stein.
The Lakers make it official and confirm our @NYTSports report from Tuesday that Kyle Kuzma is out indefinitely with a stress reaction in his left foot
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 26, 2019
According to the Lakers’ in-house reporter Mike Trudell, Kuzma will undergo an MRI when the team returns from a trip to China. Games against the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai and Shenzhen are scheduled for Oct. 10 and 12, respectively.
LAL release: Kyle Kuzma is progressing with his rehabilitation from an injury (stress reaction, left foot) that occurred while he was with USA Basketball. He has not been cleared for full practice or game participation. He is scheduled for an MRI when the team returns from China.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 26, 2019
Kuzma was on the shortlist to make the Team USA roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, but an ankle injury sustained during an exhibition against Australia forced him to be the final player cut on the team.
The 24-year-old Kuzma will now definitely be missing the start of Lakers training camp and the team’s preseason slate. The teams’ opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 22 also looms if the post-China trip MRI doesn’t look good.
Having its 2018-19 minutes leader in Kuzma being sidelined would obviously be bad news for a Lakers team already thought to be pretty low on quality depth. Kuzma averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists with a .546 true shooting percentage in 33.1 minutes per game last year.
The only notable young asset not sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis, Kuzma figures to play a major part of this year’s Lakers team.
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