![\"JJ](\"https:\/\/www.yardbarker.com\/media\/f\/b\/fbb13997bfedd910e33ca9fc6c044b7b6cc57a8e\/thumb_16x9\/usatsi_25253040.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers have had to get creative with their roster construction recently.<\/p>\n
LeBron James (groin), Rui Hachimura (knee), and Maxi Kleber (foot) are all rehabbing, and even two-way contract center Trey Jemison III (illness) missed Monday’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles is depending more on role players in the meantime, such as Jaxson Hayes and Dalton Knecht.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hayes notched 19 points (8-10 FG) with six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 29 minutes in Sunday’s 107-96 win over the Phoenix Suns, and Knecht tallied 32 points (13-27 FG, 5-13 3 PT) in 37 minutes in Friday’s 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n
However, two-way players such as Jemison and Jordan Goodwin have also contributed.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin (30) Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Goodwin scored 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-3 3 PT) with six rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal in 34 minutes against the Nuggets as well as 17 points (6-8 FG, 5-6 3 PT) with eight boards and one steal in the 111-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on March 10.<\/p>\n
That’s why it may be disappointing for Lakers fans that head coach JJ Redick won’t guarantee him a long-term roster spot, via So Cal News Group’s Khobi Price.<\/p>\n
“It’s very complicated because he’s really earned the trust of the coaching staff. But this is unfortunately the nature of the two-way contracts and having a full roster,” the Lakers head coach said.<\/p>\n
“So again, it’s something, similar to Trey, we’re just gonna manage.<\/p>\n
I think with guys being out, we can’t really afford to have him out of the rotation right now and then we’ll see as we get healthy.”<\/p>\n
Per @khobi_price, Jordan Goodwin only has around 7 games left on his two-way contract, so he asked JJ Redick how they will manage that considering he is part of the rotation: “It’s very complicated because he’s really earned the trust of the coaching staff.<\/p>\n
But this is\u2026 \u2014 Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) March 18, 2025 Goodwin started against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jemison had a season-high seven points (3-4 FG) with four rebounds in 13 minutes in the 113-109 overtime win against the New York Knicks on March 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers have had to get creative with their roster construction recently. LeBron James (groin), Rui Hachimura (knee), and Maxi Kleber (foot) are all… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n