Once thought to have too many point guards, the Lakers suddenly could use at least one high-quality backup.

They aren’t expected to add any to their holiday shopping list, despite announcing Monday that Steve Blake would require surgery to repair his torn abdominal muscle and miss a minimum of six to eight more weeks, the latest tumultuous turn in a season of upheaval.

There are a few reasons the Lakers will probably go forward with Darius Morris and Chris Duhon, who started the season as third- and fourth-stringers but have become the starter and primary backup. Those reasons include that Steve Nashcould return from a small fracture in his fibula in a week or so, the Lakers already have an NBA-high $100-million payroll and the list of free-agent point guards isn’t a particularly attractive one, with Delonte West, Mike Bibby and Jordan Farmar among the options.

Nash is not expected to return during the Lakers’ three-game trip that starts Tuesday in Houston, though he continues to slowly progress in his recovery. He has resumed running and completed dribbling drills after his teammates practiced Monday.

via Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times