1 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SG

Caldwell-Pope (knee) took part in practice Monday and worked with the starting group, Bill Oram of The Athletic reports.

Caldwell-Pope was held out of the preseason finale Friday due to tendinitis in his knee, but the issue doesn't appear to be anything of great concern, even though he was held out of the final scrimmage Monday as a precaution. "In my medical opinion I think he's going to be just fine," head coach Luke Walton said after the session. Perhaps the more relevant news is that Caldwell-Pope worked as a starter alongside Rajon Rondo in the backcourt, which could be an indication of how Walton is leaning in advance of the regular season opener Thursday in Portland. Caldwell-Pope has been in competition, primarily, with Josh Hart for the starting shooting guard job, and Walton said Monday that he'll continue to evaluate the position on a daily basis.

Caldwell-Pope will not play Friday against the Warriors, Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group reports.

Caldwell-Pope will join several other Lakers regulars on the sideline Friday as the team closes out the preseason. While he's back in Los Angeles for knee tendinitis treatment, expect to see Caldwell-Pope back in the lineup for Thursday's regular season opener in Portland.

Caldwell-Pope went for 20 points (6-14 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), two rebounds and one assist across 23 minutes in the Lakers' 123-113 preseason win over the Warriors on Wednesday.

KCP had his shot going in the win, checking in behind Brandon Ingram in scoring on the starting five. The six-year veteran has posted three straight double-digit scoring efforts after shooting just 2-for-12 over his first pair of exhibitions. Looking ahead to the regular season, Caldwell-Pope will strive to replicate the success of a solid first Lakers campaign, one in which he posted a career-best 38.3 percent success rate from distance as part of the second-highest shooting percentage (42.6) of his career.

Caldwell-Pope posted 10 points (3-6 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal across 24 minutes during the Lakers' 103-87 preseason loss to the Clippers on Saturday.

KCP was back in with the starters after coming off the bench in his most recent game. The veteran two-guard is still the odds-on favorite to open the season with the first unit, although Josh Hart and Lance Stephenson both loom as capable options directly behind him on the depth chart. After a ragged start to preseason over the first pair of exhibitions (2-for-12 FG), Caldwell-Pope has bounced back to drain seven of the 13 attempts he's put over the last two games.

Caldwell-Pope is starting Saturday's game against the Clippers, Bill Oram of The Athletic reports.

Coach Luke Walton continues to tweak the Lakers' preseason looks, and Caldwell-Pope will return to the starting five after coming off the bench Thursday. In the preseason, he's averaging 6.3 points across 23.3 minutes, shooting just 31.6 percent from the field.