Gabe Vincent cleared for non-contact work as return from injury nears

Gabe Vincent continues to progress toward a return with the Lakers as Darvin Ham revealed at practice on Tuesday that he had been cleared for non-contact work.

It's been a slow path toward Gabe Vincent's return to the Lakers, but recent progress has been positive for the guard. After practice on Tuesday, head coach Darvin Ham gave another glimmer of hope that Vincent is, in fact, on the way.

"Gabe has been cleared for non-contact work," Ham said. "He's getting sprints up and down the court. Everything else is pretty much status quo."

So there it is. Vincent is running! It seems minor, but since he's recovering from knee surgery, running and feeling good afterward is crucial. Now, Ham didn't say how he's feeling, nor did he give a timeline for his return, but recent reports state Vincent is ramping up and could return next week.

That also matches previous reports that Vincent was aiming to return in mid-to-late March. If he keeps progressing like he is, that would put him on that timeline.

Integrating him into a team that is trending in the right direction will be tricky, but that's a good problem to have. If Vincent can return in time for a handful of regular season games and can give you a shift or two of productivity, that's a win.

Even if integrating him into the Lakers is difficult, his return, at worst, gives the Lakers guard insurance in case anyone else goes down.

With Vincent returning, this team is that much closer to full health. The only other key piece missing is Jarred Vanderbilt. No recent updates have been given on the Lakers wing, but there is still optimism that he'll return this season.

If both can return in time for the playoffs, it would be one of the only times this year that the Lakers can say they've been relatively healthy; Vincent has only played five games this year and Vanderbilt has played 29.

Perhaps this is the last non-Vincent week of the season and we can begin to see what the Lakers can be like when Ham has a full roster to work with.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.