LeBron James Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: LeBron, AD, Russell, Bamba, Offseason

April 5th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers stars LeBron James (right foot soreness) and Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) are both active for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. Both players had previously been considered game-time decisions, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, the availability of the team’s two best players was up in the air leading into tonight’s game after going to overtime to defeat the Jazz in Utah on Tuesday night. James played in 38 minutes, while Davis played 42 — both high marks since returning from their respective foot injuries in March and January.

“The extra five minutes definitely didn’t help,” James said. “It definitely didn’t help but we needed to get the win.”

Wednesday will also mark the first time Davis has played in back-to-back games for several months, McMenamin notes, with the Lakers’ medical staff concerned about a possible re-injury due to overuse. Head coach Darvin Ham said the team wouldn’t risk jeopardizing anyone’s long-term health for a short-term situation — the Lakers and Clippers are tied with identical 41-38 records.

“If we see that they won’t have any issues, in terms of their health, and we’re not putting them at risk, then we’ll proceed,” Ham said. “If there’s any kind of question marks, we’ll walk through them, talk through them, and go from there.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Guard D’Angelo Russell (left foot soreness) was ruled out of Tuesday’s game for precautionary reasons, tweets McMenamin. Ham said Russell has been dealing with the issue for over a year and called it “bad timing” that it started to bother him recently. However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said on Get Up (YouTube link) that there was optimism Russell would be able to return on Wednesday and that was indeed the case — he started at point guard.
Backup center Mohamed Bamba, who has been out for a month with a high left ankle sprain, was initially probable for Wednesday’s game (Twitter link via McMenamin) and was later upgraded to available. It will be interesting to see if Bamba gets minutes over Wenyen Gabriel, who has played well this season off the bench.
In another story for ESPN, McMenamin explores how the Lakers can retain six players who helped reshape the roster. The six are Russell, Bamba, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Davon Reed, all of whom could be free agents in the offseason, though the Lakers are extremely unlikely to release Vanderbilt, who only has a small partial guarantee ($300K) on his team-friendly $4.7MM salary for 2023/24 (it becomes fully guaranteed if they don’t waive him by the end of June).

Pacific Notes: Durant, LeBron, Curry, Wiggins

April 3rd, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

It has been seven years since Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City, but a lot of Thunder fans still haven’t forgiven him, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Durant heard plenty of boos as he scored 35 points in the Suns‘ win at OKC on Sunday, and Phoenix coach Monty Williams questioned why the ill will hasn’t eased up over the years.

“I’m still surprised at how many people; why they boo him here,” Williams said. “I don’t understand that. I think this fan base is one that I’ve respected for a long time and I get it. You lose a guy like Kevin, I think at some point, you have to appreciate what he meant to this organization.”

After being drafted while the franchise was still in Seattle, Durant blossomed into a star during his eight years in Oklahoma City. He led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012 and was named MVP in 2014, but he alienated the city when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent after the 2015/16 season.

Durant said he has come to grips with the animosity and is focused on helping the Suns, who are now 6-0 in the games he has played since being acquired at the trade deadline.

“I understand it,” Durant said. “I meant so much to this community and just for me to leave like that. Early on, I didn’t get it, but I get that an NBA team is part of your community and players entrenched in your community. You feel closer to them. So, I get it. It’s still emotions and it’s still some people don’t like that I left this franchise, but it was more love this time than it has been in the past. I just focused on that.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

LeBron James believes the Lakers feel like a title contender after picking up the 10th win in their last 14 games on Sunday night, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. was able to shake up its roster at the trade deadline, then survived James’ absence due to a torn tendon in his right foot. “Even when I was out for the four weeks, I liked what we’ve been building, and I’m happy to be back in the mix,” he said.
Changes could be coming to the Warriors this offseason, including the loss of potential free agent Draymond Green and general manager Bob Myers, but Stephen Curry believes the current core can be retained both on the court and the front office, relays Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think we can all acknowledge and keep it real that had we not won a championship last year, then those questions would have been a lot more … everyday, I guess?” Curry said in a radio show appearance Friday. “But when you prove that you can win, then you kind of hold off the dogs in terms of how hard it is to do what we’ve done and keep this together for as long as we have.”
The Warriors are still hoping that Andrew Wiggins will return from his leave of absence in time for the playoffs, but time is running out for him to make an impact, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

L.A. Notes: Batum, Morris, Powell, D-Lo, Lakers, Schröder

March 28th, 2023 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Nicolas Batum is replacing Marcus Morris as the Clippers‘ starting forward and will stay in the role for the rest of the season, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.

“It was nothing that Marcus did wrong, just trying something different,” Lue said. “And when you’re not playing well, you want to try something different, and Marcus was all for it. We have to sacrifice if we want to win at a high level.”

As Greif writes, there’s less clarity about who will back up Batum. Morris and Robert Covington are the two primary options, and Lue was noncommittal on which player might have the edge. At least for the immediate future, Covington should receive playing time, as Morris has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and has been ruled out of Wednesday’s game in Memphis (Twitter link via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk).

Here’s more on the two Los Angeles-based teams:

Clippers guard Norman Powell, who is questionable for Wednesday’s contest after missing the past 11 games with a left shoulder subluxation, will be reinserted into the rotation once he returns, Greif writes in the same piece. “We need him back. We need his juice. We need his scoring,” Lue said of Powell.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (hip) and big man Anthony Davis (foot) are probable to play in Wednesday’s game at Chicago, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. Forward LeBron James (foot) is questionable. Russell missed the past two games with his injury, while James just returned Sunday after a 13-game absence.
Guard Dennis Schröder, who is playing on a veteran’s minimum contract in his second stint with the Lakers, has provided a valuable spark all season long, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “It’s a lot of energy, man. He plays with such a good passion. He’s energetic,” Davis said. “That’s how he plays, he’s scrappy and he saves a fastbreak, comes back down and draws a foul. He’s kind of another spark. Got the crowd into it. But that’s Dennis. That’s how he plays. … He’s leaving it all on the floor. Everyone is. I mean, the position that we’re in, you got to be able to leave it all on the floor, give 110%. And he’s giving like 150. He’s leaving it all on the floor, laying everything out on the line for us to get a win. And it’s contagious.”
Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group is skeptical the Clippers and Lakers can make deep playoff runs in the West, noting that injuries have played a role in the two teams’ inconsistency. She believes the Nuggets, Grizzlies and even the Kings should be favored over the two L.A. teams due to their continuity.

Pacific Notes: James, Ayton, Clippers, Payton II

March 26th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James had 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes during his return to action on Sunday, but the Lakers lost 118-108 to Chicago. James said if he had listened to some medical experts, he would have been shut down for the season, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (Twitter links).

James, who missed 13 consecutive games, said he tore a tendon in his right foot — an injury that typically takes longer than just four weeks of recovery. Doctors told him he healed from the injury faster than they’ve ever seen. The Lakers superstar got recommendations from two doctors to undergo season-ending surgery, but he went to see the “LeBron James of feet,” who helped to get him back on the court.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Deandre Ayton missed the Suns’ win over Philadelphia on Saturday and has now been sidelined for four consecutive games due to a right hip contusion. However, there’s optimism he’ll return on Monday — he has been listed as probable to play against Utah, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The Clippers have lost three of their last five games, including a 21-point defeat administered by New Orleans. The Pelicans controlled the game from the start and Kawhi Leonard left the game in the third quarter with a facial bruise after being elbowed. The Clippers play four games in six games, beginning on Monday night, and need a strong finish to avoid the play-in tournament, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes. “It’s tough to dig yourself a hole and try to climb out every single night,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “We got to be better starting games.” Leonard is probable to play on Monday, Greif tweets.
As expected, Gary Payton II was available to play for the first time since the Warriors re-acquired him from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. He had been sidelined by a right adductor injury.

LeBron James Returns For Lakers On Sunday

March 26th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Lakers All-Star small forward LeBron James will make his first appearance in a month on Sunday afternoon against the Bulls, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

James had been on the shelf since suffering a right foot tendon injury against the Mavericks in late February. He has missed 27 games for the Lakers thus far this season, and had been sidelined for the past 13 straight. When he has played, he’s looked more or less like vintage LeBron, at least on offense. He’s averaging 29.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 6.9 APG and 0.9 SPG.

It had been previously reported that James would test his right foot during team warmups ahead of today’s contest to ultimately determine whether or not he would suit up for Los Angeles.

James will come off the bench today for just the second time in his 20-year NBA career, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter). Troy Brown Jr., who has proven himself as a capable starter in his stead, will get the nod once again as LeBron gets back up to speed. One would assume it’s only a matter of time until James reclaims his starting spot.

McMenamin tweets that starting L.A. point guard D’Angelo Russell will miss his second straight game with right hip soreness.

LeBron James’ Return Imminent?

March 26th, 2023 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

After initially being upgraded from out to doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. the Bulls, Lakers forward LeBron James is now being listed as questionable to play this afternoon, according to the team (Twitter link via Marc Stein).

James is expected to test his injured right foot during pregame warmups today to see if he’ll be able to play, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

While the latest updates don’t mean James will definitely be activated on Sunday, they suggest his return to the court is closer than previously believed. Reports on Thursday indicated that James was optimistic about playing again during the final week of the regular season — if he’s able to suit up today, he’d be back with two full weeks still left in the season.

James last played exactly one month ago, on February 26 against Dallas. He sustained a foot injury in that game and was diagnosed with a tendon injury in his right foot a few days later, with the team ruling him out for at least three weeks. He has since resumed doing on-court work.

The Lakers have played well without James, going 8-5 in the 13 games he has missed, but they’d certainly welcome his return to the lineup as they attempt to secure a postseason berth. L.A. is currently in a three-way tie for seventh place in the West — the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans are all 37-37.

Lakers Notes: LeBron’s Status, Reaves, Walker

March 25th, 2023 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

With reports indicating that LeBron James is nearing a return from his right foot injury, the Lakers have upgraded his status for Sunday’s game against the Bulls from out to doubtful, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

James has missed the last 13 games after suffering a tendon injury in late February. He tweeted on Thursday that he’s working out three times a day in an effort to return as soon as possible.

“Progressing as normal,” coach Darvin Ham said when asked about James after Friday’s game. “Just doing the work that needs to be done for him to get his foot all the way together.”

The Lakers have managed to remain competitive without James, posting an 8-5 record and climbing into eighth place in the Western Conference.

There’s more from L.A.:

Austin Reaves discusses his contract situation in an appearance on the Point Forward podcast with former NBA guard Evan Turner (video link). Reaves has become a breakout star in his second NBA season, but the Lakers have limitations on what they can offer when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. “I would like to be here (with the Lakers),” Reaves said, “you know, but it’s the NBA, it’s a business at the end of the day. … I want to make as much money as I can and be as successful as I can, no matter where it’s at.”
Reaves may play for Germany in the World Cup, according to Robert Arndt of the German website Spox. Reaves’ grandmother is German, and he received a German passport several months ago.
The Lakers got a huge boost from Lonnie Walker on Friday night as they topped the Thunder to move to .500 for the first time this season, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Walker, who started 32 games earlier this season, has found himself outside the rotation after L.A. picked up D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura before the trade deadline. Walker came off the bench Friday to score 20 points in 24 minutes and impressed his teammates with his mental toughness. “We don’t win this game without him,” Anthony Davis said. “He comes in, is playing well and I don’t know, I’ve never been through it where I’m playing and then get benched or whatever, but I can only just imagine how it messes with the mind. To be mentally strong to go from a starter to move to the bench, don’t play. Then come in and play big minutes, help the team win. You got to be a strong-minded individual for that.”

Optimism LeBron James Could Return Before Regular Season Ends

March 23rd, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Rory Maher

1:48pm: James sent out a tweet saying he was not reevaluated today and there’s no target date for his return. He added that he’s “working around the clock” to give himself the “best chance of coming back full strength,” whenever that might be. However, he did not dispute that he was optimistic about returning before the regular season ends.

12:46pm: The Lakers announced on Thursday that LeBron James has started on-court work, but there’s no specific timeline for his return (Twitter link via Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times).

However, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (All Twitter links), James is optimistic he could return in the final week of the regular season and play a few games. Head coach Darvin Ham previously said the Lakers expected James to return before the season ended.

As Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group notes (via Twitter), the Lakers play at Houston and at the Clippers on April 4 and 5, followed by home games against the Suns and Jazz on April 7 and 9. Goon believes the final three games are logic target dates for James, as they’re all in Los Angeles.

James last played on February 26 against Dallas after sustaining a foot injury. On March 2, he was diagnosed with a tendon injury in his right foot and was scheduled to be reevaluated in three weeks, hence today’s update.

Bolstered by trade deadline additions and strong play from Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, among others, the Lakers have gone 7-5 since James went down with the injury. They’re currently 36-37, the No. 10 seed in the West, but the standings remain extremely tight — only one game separates the Nos. 7-12 seeds.

Getting the team’s leading scorer, second-leading rebounder and top assist man back would obviously be beneficial for the Lakers in their effort to make the playoffs. James, 38, has been limited to 47 games this season, but continues to play at a very high level, averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 36.1 minutes per night

Lakers Notes: Reaves, Russell, LeBron, Davis, M. Leonard

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

After scoring a career-high 35 points Sunday night, Austin Reaves was rewarded with a spot in the Lakers‘ starting lineup, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. With two days off between games, coach Darvin Ham and his staff had time to prepare Reaves for starting duties as he took the place of Malik Beasley. Woike notes that it’s Ham’s first change to the starting unit since the trade deadline that wasn’t forced by injuries.

Reaves delivered 25 points and a career-best 11 assists in his first start since January 4 as the Lakers topped the Suns to move into a tie for ninth in the Western Conference playoff race.

“It’s going to be hectic,” Reaves said of the competition for postseason spots. “But this is why you play the game. You want high-pressure moments and you really want to play under the lights.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

D’Angelo Russell says he’s “at peace” after returning to the Lakers in a trade last month, but he’ll also be able to adjust if his long-term future isn’t in L.A., according to Helene Elliott of The Los Angeles Times. Russell, who has provided a scoring spark, topped 25 points Wednesday for the fourth time in his 11 games with the team. He’s enjoying the chance to display how much he has grown as a player and a person since L.A. drafted him in 2015, but he also knows more change could be coming in a few months. “I’m a free agent this summer. I’ve been traded midseason, so to get comfortable somewhere it’s not easy for me,” he said. “So, until I am, I won’t be comfortable. I won’t feel like it’s home.”
LeBron James will have his right foot tendon injury reevaluated this week, but there’s still no set timetable for him to return, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Ham believes the team is benefiting by responding to challenges with James sidelined. “Bron, with him being out, it’s revealed that we have a lot of different weapons that are very capable players on both sides of the ball that can help us achieve the goal we’re trying to achieve,” he said. “And when he comes back, he’s just going to add to it.”
Buha notes that the medical staff still considers the right foot stress condition that caused Anthony Davis to miss 20 games earlier this season to be an “active injury,” and it hasn’t been decided whether he’ll play in both games of the team’s lone remaining back-to-back on April 4 and 5.
Sources tell Buha that the Lakers were interested in signing Meyers Leonard, who worked out with them in January, before he joined the Bucks. L.A. is opting to keep its open roster spot for now after workouts with Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley earlier this week.

LeBron Expected Back Before Regular Season Ends

March 19th, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James is expected to return before the end of the regular season, Lakers coach Darvin Ham told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and other media members on Sunday.

James hasn’t played since Feb. 26 due to a tendon injury in his right foot. He was averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists prior to the injury.

“We anticipate him coming back at some point,” Ham said.

Los Angeles had gone 5-5 since James was sidelined, entering its home game against Orlando. The Lakers have 10 games remaining after Sunday’s contest.

The Lakers were 11th in the Western Conference standings prior to their game against the Magic but trail Minnesota and Utah by just a half-game.

James is expected to have his foot reevaluated by Lakers medical staff this week. He shed his walking boot a week ago.

It stands to reason James will only return if the team is still in the playoff hunt.

“I think Bron, him being out has revealed that we have a lot of different weapons that are very capable players on both sides of the ball that can help us achieve the goal that we’re trying to achieve,” Ham said. “And when he comes back, he’s just going to add to it.”