The Los Angeles Lakers have officially listed LeBron James as out for their game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
As Jovan Buha of The Athletic noted, however, LeBron was also listed as out before he made a surprise return against the Sacramento Kings in late April. With that said, the door on the possibility of him returning against the Knicks is not yet closed.
The Lakers are listing LeBron James as out for tomorrow’s game against New York. For what it’s worth, he was listed as out the day before his return against Sacramento.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) May 11, 2021
Furthermore, earlier reports suggested that he could return against the ‘Bockers as the Lakers try to get out of the seventh seed and avoid the play-in tournament. It has been revealed that LeBron is targeting to suit up on Tuesday, while Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN claimed that it's a “likely” scenario given his current condition.
Woj emphasized that LeBron James is “pain-free after several days off – and able to make hard cuts and elevate.” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel also shared that LBJ was a full participant during Monday's practice, joining team drills that include scrimmages.
Of course, the Lakers are being extra cautious with LeBron given that he has already suffered his second ankle injury this season. While the play-in is definitely a concern, they would want to have James 100 percent when they fight for their playoff spot later this month.
Without James, the Lakers have split their last four games to 2-2, most recently winning against the second-seeded Phoenix Suns. The victory certainly boosted the confidence of the Purple and Gold, and while they would want LeBron back as soon as possible, there are not rushing him back.
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