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Sep 29, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (7) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lakers’ Gabe Vincent Already Dealing With Injury

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealt some unfortunate injury body blows to kick off training camp this week.

L.A. revamped its roster depth this summer, signing free agents Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia (the team also re-signed free agent center Jaxson Hayes, for some reason), and trading up in the 2025 NBA Draft to select former Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero with the No. 36 pick.

There's a chance that all three of the new free agent signings could start, although the likelier outcome is that head coach JJ Redick starts Ayton at center and perhaps experiments with Smart out of position at small forward.

More news: Lakers' Rob Pelinka Expects Deandre Ayton to Make Massive Impact

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Redick revealed Tuesday that the team opted to hold four players out of the day's training camp session: Smart, Thiero, 21-time All-NBA superstar power forward LeBron James, and veteran guard Gabe Vincent all missed the action or were limited.

JJ Redick says LeBron James is dealing with nerve irritation in his glute and was held out of practice Tuesday. Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero were also out with injuries. pic.twitter.com/yNluN0ow3S
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 30, 2025

"With Gabe, he's just modified, he should be good to go by the end of the week," Redick said. "He'll be expected to be able to play Friday. That's just, again, the management of his knee [which] we did last year as well."

Vincent has been somewhat snakebitten since inking a three-year, $33 million free agent deal with the Lakers in the summer of 2023. He missed all but 11 games during his debut 2023-24 season in Los Angeles, and although he played in 72 contests last year, he was far less aggressive as a scorer than he had been during his last two seasons as a part-time starter with the Miami Heat.

More news: NBA All-Star Slams Lakers for LeBron James Decision

Across those 72 games (11 starts), the University of California at Santa Barbara product averaged 6.4 points on .400/.353/.714 shooting splits, 1.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals a night.

Vincent's offensive production nosedived in the 2025 playoffs, despite playing similar minutes to his regular season output. He averaged 2.8 points on 35.7 percent shooting from the field (30.8 percent from 3-point land), 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists. Ultimately, Redick kept him on the floor for his perimeter defense.

Vincent's Trade, Free Agent Value Has Cratered

Smart's addition clearly indicates that Los Angeles may be open to moving on from the Gabe Vincent Experience long-term. He will likely not fetch anything close to his current $11.5 million expiring salary on the open market as a free agent next offseason.

One wonders if the Lakers will try to give him plenty of run early on, however, to build up his trade value — so he doesn't walk for nothing in the summer. Any injury issues that bleed over into the 2025-26 regular season could adversely affect that.