There's finally some confirmed clarity on the injured ankle that is expected to sideline Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, for an extended period of time. Shams Charania of Stadium is reporting the timeline is 4-6 weeks from last weekend when the injury occurred.

Already playing without Anthony Davis who's been out for awhile, the Lakers will have to tread carefully as they await the return of both of their superstars. James injury came as a shock as he's been durable and reliable throughout most of his career, having avoided the injuries that plague so many others, like his teammate Davis.

The Lakers were relatively quiet at the trade deadline but could jump into the buyout market for a name like Andre Drummond or LaMarcus Aldridge. The Lakers were linked to both in some capacity during and in the lead up to the NBA trade deadline.

Without Davis and now LeBron, the expectation one would imagine is to just keep things afloat until both return.

Currently, the Lakers sit at 28-16, good for 4th in the brutal Western Conference.

LeBron was in the midst of another one of his typical seasons, averaging 25.4 points a night to go along with 7.9 assists and 7.9 rebounds. With his timeline now clear, the Lakers know exactly how long they'll have to battle without their leader.

Unless the Lakers go into an absolute free fall, missing the playoffs won't be the worry. The worry, if there is one, is just how much they slip down the standings in the west with LeBron gone for this extended amount of time.