Getty Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
Los Angeles Lakers center Christian Wood has intentions on returning to NBA floors in top condition next season, but a recent procedure is going to slow his progress.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday, September 9, that Wood underwent knee surgery and will be out at least two months, which means he will miss time at the beginning of the regular season.
“Lakers say Christian Wood underwent surgery on his left knee and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks,” Charania posted to X.
Christian Wood Underwent Same Procedure on Same Knee Just 6 Months Ago
GettyChristian Wood of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the basketball during an NBA game against the Miami Heat in January 2024.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN explained that Wood had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The Lakers big man had the exact same operation on the exact same joint in March.
“Los Angeles Lakers F Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks,” Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported March 18. “The Lakers final regular season game is April 14.”
Wood played 50 games for L.A. last season, earning just a single start. He averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.4 minutes per night.
The playing time and production from Wood in Los Angeles dipped significantly from his campaign with the Dallas Mavericks the year prior. And two seasons before that as a member of the Houston Rockets, Wood averaged 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Christian Wood Vowed to Return to Lakers ‘With a Vengeance’ This Season
GettyLos Angeles Lakers center Christian Wood.
Wood, who will turn 29 years old later this month, picked up the roughly $3 million player option on the second year of his two-year, $5.75 million contract over the summer. That he did so indicates the center didn’t feel the market for his services was better than that anywhere league-wide — or he didn’t want to take that risk, at least.
Playing in a contract year, Wood gave public voice to his intentions to return in the 2024-25 campaign and have a career renaissance while backing up star big man Anthony Davis.
“I’m back yall ..and l’m coming back next season with a vengeance.”
Christian Wood sending a message to fans ahead of the 24/25 season 😳
(via chriswood_5 / IG)
Posting while using the story feature on his personal Instagram account, Wood wrote on August 24: “I’m back yall … and I’m coming back next season with a vengeance.”
Unfortunately for Wood and the Lakers, he will need to table that vengeance while he recovers. In the meantime, Los Angeles will again turn to Davis and LeBron James with the hopes that the two long-time veterans can remain as healthy this season as they were during the last.
Davis played 76 games last year, which is the highest mark in his 12-year career. In fact, it ties the total number of contests in which he appeared across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns combined.
Meanwhile, James took the court 71 times during the last regular season, the most since he played in all 82 games in 2017-18 during his final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Lakers Big Man Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out Several Months: Report