The Los Angeles Lakers are without Gabe Vincent for Friday’s clash with the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena, and head coach JJ Redick provided an update on his status pregame. This is the seventh game in a row that Vincent is out for due to a back injury, and Redick revealed he will miss the rematch on Sunday as well.
“Hoping to practice tomorrow,” Redick said. “… He won’t be available Sunday, and we’re hoping he’s available for one of the games on the road trip, but again, we’ve got to get him exposure to live play, and with the travel day on Monday, that’s going to be tough.”
The Lakers have a road back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 6 and 7, respectively. Redick is hopeful Vincent will play in one of the games, but the fact that it will be a stretch of three games in four days complicates matters.
Vincent last played for the Lakers in the 116-114 win over the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 14, 2025. If there were a word to define his stint with the team, it would be injuries.
Vincent previously missed 11 games earlier this season due to a left ankle sprain. The 29-year-old has featured only 14 times in 2025-26.
The Lakers had signed Vincent to a three-year, $33 million deal back in 2023. He only managed to play in 11 games in his first season in Los Angeles due to a knee injury. Vincent did follow that up by playing 72 games in 2024-25, but this latest campaign looks set to be another injury-riddled one.
Vincent hasn’t really impressed when he has gotten to play either. He is averaging 4.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game in 2025-26 while shooting 35.0% from the field.
Vincent has been solid defensively, but continues to struggle on offense. His contract will expire at the end of this season, and it’s hard to see a scenario where the Lakers bring him back. Vincent might be shipped out before the trade deadline itself.
Dalton Knecht is another who might be gone by the deadline, but Redick revealed he is going to be a part of the rotation for the foreseeable future, starting with this Grizzlies game. The Lakers have shot just 34.6% from three this season, and the hope is that Knecht will help on that front.
The Lakers enter this Grizzlies game with a 20-11 record, but they have been struggling lately. They have lost four of their last five games, and Redick has to figure out a way to arrest this slide quickly.
