The Los Angeles Lakers have been hit with the injury bug in a significant way to start the 2025-26 season.
The Lakers were without several players for their matchup on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, including Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes, to name a few. Injuries haven't been kind to the Lakers, as they remain without their second-best player and future Hall of Famer, LeBron James.
James remains sidelined with sciatica on his right side, and his absence has been deeply felt across the lineup. Although he is the oldest player in the league, James has played like a top-15 player, and he proved that by earning a Second Team All-NBA selection last season.
His addition to the team will be major, but when will that happen? Well, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James is still about three weeks away from possibly returning.
McMenamin shared the update on ESPN’s NBA Today.
“I’m told that we’re still in the range of about 3 more weeks before he would be targeting a return sometime in mid-November. I have been told by multiple sources over the last several days that his rehab and all of the process to get back to that return date is moving in the right direction,” McMenamin said.
By the looks of it, James could likely return the week before Thanksgiving or possibly a bit before that. If his return date is Nov. 23 or Nov. 25, that means he will miss another 11 or 12 games.
As things stand, the Lakers sit with a 2-2 record after dropping their most recent game against the Blazers. In the meantime, Austin Reaves has carried the load, especially in the last two games, combining for 92 points in back-to-back contests.
While Reaves has shown that he is capable of carrying the offense, things would run a lot smoother with James on the court, who is the ultimate point guard. While James is not their best player, he is arguably their most valuable on both sides of the ball.
The 21-time All-Star shares play-making duties alongside Doncic, but he is off the ball more and capitalizes on high basketball IQ actions like screening and cutting.
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