Lakers center Thomas Bryant suffers ankle sprain, availability for Sacramento Summer League opener ‘unclear’

Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant had an incredibly impressive rookie campaign for the team in the G League, and could be in store for a major step forward next season if a) he’s still around and b) puts in the work over the offseason.

The former isn’t a guarantee with the Lakers hunting cap space like crazy as they pursue superstar free agents and trades this offseason, but Bryant has been putting in work this summer, and it was going to be interesting to see how much progress he’d made once the Sacramento and Las Vegas summer leagues rolled around.

While it’s very likely Bryant still plays a significant amount in Sacramento and/or Las Vegas, it’s not clear if he’ll be ready to go at the start, or hampered at all given how ankle injuries can linger, in the wake of news he had sprained his ankle at the team’s first summer league practice.

As stated above, it seems incredibly unlikely Bryant would miss all of summer league due to an ankle sprain, but if the injury gives him trouble or leaves him limited, one of the primary reasons to watch the Lakers’ squads will be gone.

That said, the Lakers still have a ton of talent on their roster for the two summer leagues. Josh Hart is set to play a game in each tournament, giving fans a look at his own progress from his rookie year, and the teams will also feature the Lakers’ two draft picks that they officially have on the roster, Moe Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk. Their third pick, who they can’t announce until after the moratorium, Isaac Bonga, will likely suit up as well.

Still, as a legit center with an even more legit 3-point stroke, watching Bryant was going to be one of the highlights of summer league. Hopefully this is just a minor bump in the road, but no one could fault the Lakers if they were extra cautious.

You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.