Thursday night’s game between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers has a loaded injury report for both sides.
For the Lakers, the only player availability they are still waiting on is the veteran superstar, LeBron James.
Lately, James has been dealing with a right hip contusion and left foot arthritis. He hasn’t been able to stay on the floor, but the Lakers haven’t placed a timeline on his return. The head coach, JJ Redick, is simply keeping him on a day-to-day basis.
The last time LeBron took the court was during the Lakers’ March 5 game against the Denver Nuggets. LeBron checked in for 33 minutes and produced 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in the 120-113 loss.
Since then, LeBron has missed three straight games. The Lakers have fared well in his absence, going undefeated during that span. They collected wins over the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who Is On The Lakers’ Injury Report?
When the Lakers released the injury report on Wednesday night, Smart had a slight shot at playing. He was downgraded on Thursday afternoon, leaving his availability for the Lakers’ next matchup up in the air.
For now, LeBron is likely viewed as a game-time decision.
The Chicago Bulls’ Injury Report Is Loaded
That’s not an understatement.
The Bulls accepted that they weren’t contenders in the Eastern Conference this season. Ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, the team went into seller’s mode. While they know their couple of core guys for the future (Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey), the team opted to take on expiring contracts to find the right pieces to build around them next year.
Going into the Lakers matchup, the Bulls hold a 27-38 record. They are 12th in the Eastern Conference.
The Lakers and the Bulls are set for a 10:30 tip.
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