Trevor Ariza has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols and will miss the Los Angeles Lakers matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at Staples Center, the team announced.

Ariza is now the fifth Lakers player in protocols, joining Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk, and Austin Reaves. With Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn out with injuries, the Lakers will have just 12 players available for the Spurs game, and only two forwards (LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony).

Talen Horton-Tucker and Dwight Howard were cleared from protocols earlier this week.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MnJXNoLPxevYvf5sx6Jv4?si=wz0gy7i1QX6o73kdm0Rcog

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel remains in COVID-19 protocols, as well. Assistant coach David Fizdale has served as head coach the past two games, and will likely do so vs. San Antonio.

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Ariza returned from preseason ankle surgery to make his season debut in Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bulls. He played 15 minutes and hit his only shot attempt (a three-pointer). In Tuesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, Ariza scored 12 points in 20 minutes, shooting 4-of-4 from downtown.

On Wednesday, Ariza said his conditioning was up to speed but he was still managing late-game ankle soreness and figuring out his spacing.

“Throughout my time being injured, I didn’t just sit and not do anything. I was shooting every day, lifting every day. It’s routine. I watched us play, I watched film a lot.”

Ariza said he's working on “getting into the right spots, trying to be ready whenever the ball comes to me or however many shots I get. Just being ready for them.”

The Lakers are depending on the 36-year old to be a key piece to their puzzle as a defender and floor spacer who can play both forward positions.