The Lakers announced Thursday that LeBron James has been diagnosed with a right foot tendon injury and will be re-evaluated in three weeks after being examined by the team’s medical staff.
With this timeline, the earliest James would be able to return is March 24 against the Thunder. Only nine games would remain in the season.
James suffered the injury against the Mavericks on Sunday but played through it in the 111–108 comeback win. Just hours before Los Angeles made the latest announcement, Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported that James will not need surgery.
The news is devastating for a Lakers team that is trying so desperately to make the postseason. As of right now, the team is the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference with a 30–33 record but is just four games behind the Suns, who are the No. 4 seed with a 34–29 mark.
Since the Feb. 9 trade deadline, the Lakers are 4–3 and have showed signs of a quality playoff team with the additions of D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. All three will need to step up over the next three weeks to keep the team afloat while their best player heals up.
