Kings’ Marvin Bagley III has ‘nagging’ wrist injury; Hassan Whiteside ready to return
Two postponed games against the Memphis Grizzlies delayed the start of the Kings’ road trip and gave them a few days to heal their aches and pains.
Center Hassan Whiteside appears to be ready to return after missing the past four games with a hip injury, but Marvin Bagley III is still feeling the effects of a left wrist injury that has bothered him in recent weeks. Bagley was not listed on the team’s injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Kings coach Luke Walton said Bagley participated in non-contact practice Tuesday. He was held out of practice over the weekend after showing obvious discomfort in a 103-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday.
“He’s going to be playing through pain,” Walton said. “He didn’t do anything before we left and then today he did only non-contact, and not because we’re afraid he’s going to hurt it, but it’s just one of those nagging injuries that, every time it gets hit, it’s going to flare up.”
Bagley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, is averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds this season. He has appeared in all 16 games this season and demonstrated marked improvement at both ends of the floor recently.
Whiteside came to the Kings on a one-year minimum deal after averaging 15.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and an NBA-leading 2.9 blocked shots for the Portland Trail Blazers last season. He has played a much more limited role in Sacramento, averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game, but the Kings missed his defensive presence when he missed the past four games due to left hip soreness.
He is listed as probable for Wednesday.
“Just being a guy to come in and being a defensive anchor, that’s what I want to be,” Whiteside said. “I want to be out there helping these guys out, get wins and just bringing my experience.”
