The return of LeBron James is on the horizon for the Los Angeles Lakers as the playoffs draw near. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, James is eyeing a return next week.
LeBron just made his return to the Lakers lineup and ended up re-aggravating his injury, causing him to leave the game early against the Toronto Raptors on May 2. That was just James' second game since returning from the injury after he missed nearly six weeks.
In what's been a tumultuous season for the defending champions, the Lakers were finally getting both Anthony Davis and James back healthy before the occurrence on Sunday. Davis has played just 30 games and LeBron has played in only 43.
Nonetheless, LeBron should be back soon and help the Lakers move their way up the Western Conference standings with the beginning of the playoffs right around the corner. With the top four teams essentially locked in the West, it's a battle for the remaining spots with many teams hoping to avoid the play-in tournament.
James was one of the NBA players to voice his frustration and discontent with the idea of the play-in tournament, as did Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
If the Lakers continue their skid, they could very well fall into the ranks of the play-in tournament seeding. Still, having a healthy LeBron and Davis together on the court should pose serious concerns for any team that has to play them during their attempt at a title repeat.