LeBron James, who is presently out with a foot injury, will undergo another evaluation in three weeks, according to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Earlier on Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported that LeBron will not require surgery, but the pain is simply too sharp to play through at the moment.
James has been dealing with lingering soreness in both of his feet for several weeks. He exacerbated the right foot ailment on an awkward fall against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 26. Microphones picked up LeBron immediately saying he “heard a pop” — though he toughed out the rest of that contest.
LeBron has missed the past two games. Los Angeles (30-33) currently sits one game of the final Play-In spot and 2.5 games back of the No. 6 seed with 19 games remaining.
A three-week timeline would put LeBron on track to return with about nine games left — though “reevaluations” don’t typically mean exact return dates.
The 38-year-old is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 2022-23.
The Lakers begin a five-game homestand — including four matchups vs. playoff teams — on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’ll be without D’Angelo Russell for the Wolves matchup and possibly beyond.
Fortunately, the Lakers’ post-trade-deadline depth has enabled them to stay afloat sans LeBron, as they did in their much-needed victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
