LA Notes: Vanderbilt, Knecht, Kawhi, Powell, K. Jones

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt will be sidelined for the start of the 2024-25 regular season as he continues to recover from surgery on both feet in May, head coach JJ Redick said Thursday evening (Twitter link via ESPN's Dave McMenamin). According to Redick, Vanderbilt will be out for at least two more weeks, meaning he will miss at least five regular-season games.

Vanderbilt, a tough, versatile defender, was able to play in only 29 games due to foot injuries. Redick said last week that the 25-year-old had not suffered any setbacks in training camp but had not yet participated in practice, contact or otherwise.

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• No. 17 overall Dalton Knecht showed on Thursday why that is so Lakers believe he is viewed as a draft-night steal, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. Knecht scored 35 points in 32 minutes off the bench, scoring the Lakers' last seven points in regulation and their first 13 in overtime. Knecht opted out of the lottery because of concerns about his age and defensive deficiencies, according to Woike, but he appears ready to open his rookie season as a rotation player in Los Angeles.
• Discussion of the status of Kawhi Leonardthe annoying right knee, Hair clippers Head coach Tyronn Lue admitted the star forward suffered a setback during Team USA's training camp, The Orange County Register's Janis Carr reported. “The swelling went down, everything was going in the right direction” Lue said. “He’s worked hard to get to this point and once you start playing you never know what’s going to happen.”
• Clippers swingman Norman Powell spoke with Sportskeeda.com's Mark Medina about a variety of topics, including his first impressions of the team's new arena, Leonard's absence and the challenge of bolstering the defense without Kawhi. “Over the years, I’ve focused on my score.” Powell said. “But I'm using my defensive skills again and protecting as a two-way player. I love it. I know I can do it.”
• After a strong camp and preseason, big man Kai Jones will open the season with the Hair clipperstweets Law Murray of The Athletic. With the team already having 15 players on guaranteed contracts, Jones will likely convert his Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract before opening night, Murray added.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.