Grizzlies vs. Lakers Injury Report Shows Concerns for NBA Cup Matchup

The Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers face off for an NBA Cup matchup on Friday.

Mar 29, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Memphis Grizzlies have not been the most consistent team early into the new NBA season, as they are 3-2 but have not won or lost consecutive games. Coming off a win over the Phoenix Suns, their trend would suggest they are due for a loss, but pulling off an upset over the Los Angeles Lakers would be a great way to start their NBA Cup campaign.

The Lakers are also 3-2 on the season, coming off a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both the Grizzlies and Lakers are coming off a one-point win on Wednesday after suffering a double-digit loss two days prior, putting them in awfully similar situations heading into Friday's matchup. On top of that, both teams are dealing with significant injury concerns.

Grizzlies' injury report gets smaller on Friday

The Grizzlies have ruled out four players for Friday's game, which is still not ideal, but they are trending in the right direction. The Grizzlies have ruled out Zach Edey (left ankle), Brandon Clarke (right knee), Ty Jerome (right calf), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (left great toe) against the Lakers.

Status Report: @memgrizz vs @Lakers, October 31 pic.twitter.com/EK2tj06W6e

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) October 30, 2025

Backup guard Vince Williams Jr. is set to make his season debut after missing the first five games with a right ankle injury, crossing one name off that dreadful injury list that Grizzlies fans have seen before every game so far.

Of course, they are still missing four very important players, especially starting center Zach Edey, along with backup guards Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr., but they have already managed to pull out a few wins while short-handed.

Who's out for the Lakers?

The Lakers have a loaded injury report themselves, headlined by superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Lakers have listed six players: Luka Doncic (left finger, lower left leg) and Marcus Smart (right quad) are both listed as questionable, while LeBron James (right sciatica), Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle), Adou Thiero (left knee), and Gabe Vincent (left ankle) are ruled out.

Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) leave a court after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-85 in game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

James has yet to make his season debut for the Lakers, while Doncic could be returning to action after a three-game absence. While they have both been sidelined, Austin Reaves has taken over as their top option, averaging 40.0 points, 10.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game, including a game-winner in their last outing.

The Grizzlies and Lakers should both be short-handed for Friday's game. However, the Lakers would get a huge boost by getting Doncic back on the floor. At a minimum, fans will be in for a treat with a Ja Morant versus Austin Reaves battle.

The Grizzlies and Lakers are set to face off in Memphis at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday.