While it was reported that the Lakers wanted a higher draft pick than the projected 17th pick in this year’s NBA Draft, there is still interest from both sides to get this deal completed. However, the Suns will wait to see how Gasol recovers from a strained groin that will keep him out for at least a week via ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne:
“Sources told ESPN.com that, while there is substantive interest on both sides, it’s believed Suns officials want to see how Gasol recovers from a strained groin before deciding whether to take talks to the next level.”
Late last night, Gasol revealed that he received a PRP shot to help the healing of his groin injury on Instagram. While Gasol has dealt with numerous injuries this season, he finally appeared healthy to start the new year. In the month of January, Gasol put up All-Star numbers by averaging 20.8 points and 11.9 rebounds.
With Gasol out for the Lakers’ three-game road trip that begins in Minnesota tonight, the team received some good news as Steve Nash and Steve Blake will make their first return to the court after missing significant time with injuries.
While the Lakers will be shorthanded in the frontcourt, the team will not be signing another player to a 10-day contract and Chris Kaman will be part of the rotation.
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Lakers Practice: Steve Blake Returning From Injury, It’ll Be Interesting How Coach Uses Guards
