In addition to the Los Angeles Lakers not having Brandon Ingram (sprained ankle) and Rajon Rondo (hand surgery) as their two-game road trip concludes Saturday night, Michael Beasley will also be out as he’s left the team to tend to a family health matter.
This marks a third time this season Beasley has been excused by the Lakers. The first instance came Oct. 29 when the veteran forward did not suit up for a road contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Beasley returned to practice one week later. He was then forced to leave minutes before tipoff against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 11.
While Beasley’s absences affected depth, he had largely fallen out of head coach Luke Walton’s rotation. The 29-year-old went one month between appearing in games but was prepared when called upon.
Beasley’s best showing came against the Phoenix Suns, as he scored a season-high 14 points to go along with 4 rebounds in 13 minutes of action. That prompted Walton to acknowledge that Beasley had likely earned himself more playing time moving forward.
However, he logged a combined 12 minutes in the last two games against the San Antonio Spurs. It’s unclear when Beasley will re-join the team. After Saturday, the Lakers’ next game is a home tilt on Monday against the Miami Heat.