Dante Exum's return to the Utah Jazz remains a mystery with coach Quin Snyder admitting he still does not know if his Australian point guard will play this season.
Exum suffered last week what could be the second season-ending injury of his short NBA career when he drove to the basket, collided with Phoenix Suns forward TJ Warren and damaged his shoulder in a pre-season game.
Jazz medical staff are yet to conclude how severe the injury is.
"I know they are in the process of evaluating him and planning a course of action, but we'll get him back as soon as we can," Snyder told reporters before the Jazz played the Los Angeles Lakers in a pre-season game on Tuesday in LA.
The Jazz won 105-99.
Exum missed the 2015-16 season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament playing for Australia in Europe.
Snyder used a mix of point guards against the Lakers, including starter Ricky Rubio, Australia's Joe Ingles and rookie Donovan Mitchell.
"With Dante's injury we are in the process of figuring it out," Snyder said.
Ingles had a forgettable game with just three points and four assists in 28 minutes while centre Rudy Gobert dominated with 29 points and 13 rebounds.
The Lakers' Australian recruit Andrew Bogut also sat out the pre-season game with a groin injury, but he says he will be ready for next week's regular season opener.
"It's just a little tweak," Bogut told AAP.
"We're just being cautious more than anything.
"If it was a playoff game I'd be right to go but it's just one of those things that I have to be more careful right now because of the pre-season."
Lakers' rookie star Lonzo Ball also missed the game to rest an ankle injury.
In other pre-season games Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 96-86, the Orlando Magic outlasted Patty Mills' San Antonio Spurs 103-98, the Chicago Bulls trumped the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-94, the Toronto Raptors were too good for the Detroit Pistons 116-94 and in the latest international exhibition the Indiana Pacers beat Haifa Maccabi Haifa 108-89.
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