Lakers forward to undergo arthroscopic surgery on left knee

Lakers big man Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin tweet.

Back on Feb. 21, the Lakers reportedly felt Wood’s knee soreness was relatively minor and that he’d be back in action in a couple of weeks. It hasn’t healed to expectations.

Wood appeared in 50 of the team’s first 56 games, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per night in his first season with the Lakers. He hasn’t played since Feb. 14.

Wood surprisingly remained on the free-agent market until early September last year, when the Lakers signed him to a two-year veteran’s minimum contract. He holds a $3M option on his contract for next season.

Wood and the Mavericks failed to reach an extension agreement last season and he didn’t get the type of offers normally conveyed to players who averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds during their walk year.

The Lakers currently hold the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Wood probably won’t be available until later in the postseason, if the Lakers advance.