Anthony Davis Injury Update: Lakers suffer massive blow after 9x All-Star's concerning setback on latest ailment

The LA Lakers suffered a massive blow on Wednesday after Anthony Davis' latest injury update. Davis suffered an abdominal muscle strain in Tuesday's clash against the Philadelphia 76ers. He exited the game in the first quarter and never returned.

The Lakers immediately faced the impact of his absence. They led 20-17 when he left the floor and proceeded to lose 118-104 after trailing by 20+ points.

According to the latest injury update provided by the Lakers, Davis will return to LA from the team's East Coast road trip, and he will be re-evaluated in a week.

Anthony Davis' absence will force him to miss the Lakers' road games against the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks and LA Clippers. It severely dampens their hopes of winning those games, as every team has a threatening big man at the five. The Lakers don't have a backup center as good.

Jaxson Hayes has not lived up to expectations, while Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III are still developing prospects who have yet to win coach JJ Redick's trust.

The Lakers will also miss Davis' offense in this span. He was averaging 32.8 points on 58.2% shooting over the last four games. The Lakers were unbeaten in that stretch.

Anthony Davis' injury forces Lakers' hand in adding a center at the trade deadline

The Lakers front office will be under immense pressure to make quick moves ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline after Anthony Davis' injury. Their lack of depth at the five was already exposed against the 76ers. With the upcoming games against three teams who have reliable bigs, LA could drop three consecutive games.

That, in turn, will force the Lakers' hand in trading for a center soon. According to NBA trade rumors, LA is in Walker Kessler and Myles Turner's pursuit. Kessler, 22, and Turner, 28, are two of the best defensive centers in the NBA who would be excellent long-term fits next to Davis.

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However, their asking price is a stumbling block. Both would demand two first-round picks. The Lakers have three available, and only two are tradeable because of the "Stapien Rule."

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It will be interesting to see if the Lakers go all in as their season is seemingly hinging on Anthony Davis' health.