NBA Rumors: Lakers Need To Wait More Before Anthony Davis Is Cleared To Play

Los Angeles Lakers fans will have to wait a bit longer if they want to see Anthony Davis back in action as it appears he is still far from being 100% healthy.

According to Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, Davis is still “a ways away” from donning the franchise's signature colors. The top pick of the 2012 NBA Draft will be re-evaluated on Friday.

However, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the eight-time All-Star could be sidelined for the next three weeks or possibly more.

That take, if true, should be a piece of unfortunate news to the Lakers’ followers. The team is already struggling right now with Davis and LeBron James forced into the sidelines.

Unless someone significantly steps up, the Lakers may find itself reeling in the Western Conference standings.

But even with that in mind, the Lakers should be good come NBA playoff time. Assuming that James and Davis return in full strength, the nitty-gritty is really in the postseason wars.

Most know that stakes are raised at that point, a positive way to see the injuries to the two Lakers stars.

It would also be worth noting that James and Davis are technically getting “forced rest.” If their respective injuries heal up, they could be fresh and good for the tough grind ahead en route to possibly back-to-back NBA titles.

The Lakers have the talent to compete even with James and Davis out of action. But seeing that most teams beefed up after the NBA trade deadline, they are compelled to stay competitive and keep their campaign afloat to buy their top stars some time.

Tasked to do that are Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

There is no telling if the Lakers will be successful in the buyout market. On their radar are Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still in the process of severing their ties with Drummond, while Aldridge has already been reportedly bought out by the San Antonio Spurs.

But the tricky part here is that multiple teams are also eyeing the two players. Landing one or both of the players could give the Lakers some reprieve until James and Davis are cleared to suit up once more.