Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told NBA reporters that point guard Gabe Vincent has been cleared for non-contact activity.
Vincent has only played in five games this season. He underwent left knee surgery in December.
The Lakers signed Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract last summer in free agency. Vincent appeared in the first four games of the season before missing 23 consecutive games. He made his return to the court on December 20 against the Chicago Bulls.
Vincent finished with three points against the Bulls while shooting 1-of-4 from the field. However, he experienced discomfort and soreness in his knee after the Bulls game and decided to have surgery.
The 27-year-old Vincent is averaging 5.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists this season while shooting 37.5% from the field, 11.8% from beyond the arc and 50.0% from the foul line.
Vincent has career averages of 7.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists with the Miami Heat and Lakers. He’s making $10.5 million this season.
The Lakers are 36-30 on the season. They are in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. The front office didn’t make any trades at this year’s trade deadline despite being linked to several players.
However, general manager Rob Pelinka did sign Spencer Dinwiddie on the buyout market.
The Lakers are 10th in the NBA in points per game and 21st in points per game allowed.
After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves (3/10) on Sunday, the Lakers got to six games over .500 for the first time since 2020-21.
“I think we’re hitting our stride right now,” Lakers superstar Anthony Davis said. “We’ve had some really good wins. … We’re just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it’s tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series. … We like our chances against anybody at that point.”
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