The season has officially come to an end for former lottery pick Xavier Henry after battling through a knee and wrist injury according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com:
Xavier Henry has been shut down for the season. He’s been battling knee and wrist issues, but LAL don’t want to make either any worse.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 4, 2014
Henry was one of many wildcards on the Lakers roster this season with no telling what the team would get from the former 12th overall pick. Henry quickly proved his worth to the team becoming a valuable asset both in the starting lineup or off the bench for head coach Mike D’Antoni.
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Unfortunately, Henry will miss the final seven games of the season due to persistent injuries, but it’d be safe to say he’s increased his worth on the open market. Henry will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has expressed interest in returning to the Lakers.
As of right now, it is unclear what the team’s intentions are in terms of free agency. The Lakers will only have a handful of players under contract for next season and will need to fill out the roster, but it is uncertain if Henry has shown enough to merit another contract with the team.
In 43 games this season, Henry averaged a career-high 10.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from the floor. Henry definitely has a strong upside as arguably one of the most exciting and athletically gifted players on the team, but the future is uncertain for the shooting guard free-agent-to-be.
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