The Los Angeles Lakers have been providing playing time to some of their two-way and Exhibit 10 players during their first three preseason games. Among them is two-way forward Armel Traore, an undrafted rookie from France.
Traore has appeared in two of the three preseason games so far, logging nine minutes in their win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. He contributed significantly to the comeback effort and finished with a plus-20 rating during his brief stint on the court.
However, his opportunities to play with the Lakers might be limited for the remainder of the preseason. He sustained a hand injury during the victory over the Bucks, which could sideline him for nearly a week, as reported by Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group.
The Lakers were hoping to gather as much information as possible on Traore by giving him preseason minutes before he likely spends most of the season with the South Bay Lakers. However, given the team’s limited depth on the wings, he may have had a real shot at carving out a role with the main roster.
It’s unfortunate that he’ll miss some opportunities to do so, as being out for five days from Saturday could mean he’ll miss two of the last three preseason games before the regular season begins. If Traore can return sooner, it would benefit him to try to secure a rotation spot for the limited time he’s eligible to play with the main team.
