Kobe Bryant’s season is over

This comes on the same day that the Lakers announced Bryant would miss the rest of the season due to lack of progress in his rehab for his injured left knee. The star guard told reporters earlier on Wednesday that he doesn’t think the front office situation in L.A. is working and that he won’t be waiting around for a rebuild next year.

Los Angeles has its own first-round choice in this year’s upcoming draft, which features top prospects Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart and Julius Randle. However, outside of a top pick, the Lakers’ cupboards are bare moving forward.

Even adding a top-flight prospect, the Lakers will need to use their cap to fill out what amounts to nearly an entire roster with an estimated $20 million remaining before they hit their cap. Financial finagling aside, it is unlikely the Lakers would be able to field a championship-level roster with that amount of cap space in a single year, let alone solely from free agents.

Bryant suffered the injury after battling back from a torn Achilles during the 2012-2013 season. His leg noticeably weakened, team doctors determined on Wednesday that the aging superstar’s knee wasn’t making the kind of recovery expected to allow him to return within the regular season:

Los Angeles is firmly out of the playoff discussion in the heavy Western Conference with a record of 22-42. Bryant will need to take the rest of the offseason to rehab and get back in shape for the 2014-15 season.

The news comes as the Lakers are firmly situated in the cellar of the Western Conference with a record of 22-42 through March 11. Because of that status as one of the league’s worst teams, Bryant has no reason to rush back after missing all but six games this season.

Los Angeles awarded Bryant a two-year, $48.5 million extension in November, and the Lakers legend will turn 36 years-old in August. He’ll still be expected to serve as the centerpiece of a future roster with several holes.

The Lakers star fractured his left knee back on Dec. 17 and was originally expected to miss around six weeks. Prior to that, Bryant had battled to come back from a ruptured left Achilles suffered in April of 2013.

Although he has seen the floor for just six games this season, Bryant has posted averages of 13.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds including shooting 42.5 percent from the floor. Without him, the Lakers have been abysmal this season and are just a half game out of last place in the Western Conference with a record of 19-36.

Bryant was supposed to miss just six weeks but the extra time puts him way past the original return date of Jan. 30. He was said to be in so much discomfort that an MRI will not even be taken by team doctors. Bryant will be re-evaluated in February. The All-Star Game is two weeks away and Bryant is not guaranteed to be ready for the annual showcase. He has already mentioned giving up his starting spot to someone more deserving, according to ESPN Los Angeles.

Bryant has only played in six games this season. He is only averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. The Lakers are currently 16-29 on the season.

This pushes the earliest return for Bryant outside of the initial six-week timetable the team announced after he suffered the injury on Dec. 17. Head coach Mike D’Antoni was hopeful Bryant could return as early as Jan. 28, but a January return has been ruled out.

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Nash has also only played six games this year, and he hasn’t set foot on the court since Nov. 10. Nash has been dealing with nerve issues in his back, an injury that stems from last year.

The Lakers have been decimated by injuries this year and are just 1-9 since reaching a .500 record of 13-13 on Dec. 20. The game against the Pacers would be the first after a seven-game road trip.

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The severity of the injury -- a tibial plateau fracture -- was only discovered on Thursday, at which point the team announced he’d be out of the lineup for the next six weeks.

Will Carroll, sports medicine writer for Bleacher Report, says that this does not mean that Bryant was rushed back early:

Bryant is averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in six games this season.

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