The Los Angeles Lakers’ injury nightmare may have gotten worse in the regular season finale as Luke Kennard appeared to suffer a hand injury in the second quarter. LA is already without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the first round of the playoffs. Their ball-handling is desperately thin. Kennard has been showing off an unknown skill, and the Lakers need him to have any shot at pulling the postseason upset.
This has been a genius trade by Rob Pelinka. Fans wanted the Lakers to add defense before the trade deadline, but they opted to acquire a sharpshooter. Kennard is shooting over 47 percent from 3-point range this season and has shown some elite playmaking since Luke and AR went down. Credit to Pelinka for knocking this one out of the park.
The updates on Kennard’s injury were nonexistent. He didn’t play in the second half, but the Lakers were already winning and had clinched homecourt in the first round. Utah is tanking, so there was no need to play the starters in the second half. LeBron James joined Kennard on the bench, so LA didn't offer an update on either.
Luke Kennard appears to suffer a hand injury against the Jazz
LeBron wasn’t injured. Kennard was seen grabbing his hand when he left the game, though.
Luke Kennard does not start the 2nd half. https://t.co/usdRGW5s0I
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) April 13, 2026
Nobody knows if he is injured or how badly. The Lakers didn’t offer an update because it seemed like he was just resting. Fans saw LeBron grab his hand after hitting it off the backboard before returning against the Warriors. Kennard looked hurt, so all anyone can do is wait for official word.
LA had no reason to risk Kennard, but fans should be watching closely in the days ahead. The Lakers will get a week of rest before the playoffs. It will give Kennard time to get right. Los Angeles needs him. The Lakers' playmaking problem without Luka and AR looked solved when Marcus Smart returned. Sadly, it will be back if Kennard is sidelined.
The Lakers need Luke Kennard, which could be a problem already. The 6’5 wing has fallen out of the playoff rotation in other places because of his defensive woes. Kennard can make shots and will have the ball in his hands if he’s healthy. It could quickly come back to bite the purple and gold at the worst possible time.
Los Angeles Lakers fans can only hold their breath. The Austin Reaves injury was not announced until days after it happened. Luke Kennard appeared to injure his hand in the regular season finale. He never returned for the second half. Hopefully, he’s ready for Game 1 of the playoffs, but nobody knows at this point. Stay tuned for updates.