The Los Angeles Lakers expect to reassess LeBron James‘ injured right foot in two weeks to see how much progress he has made, but the timeline for his return is expected to extend beyond that checkpoint, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers entered Tuesday night’s games at 29-32 and are 0.5 games back of the final play-in spot with 21 games remaining. Where the Lakers reside in the standings in two weeks could impact how soon it makes sense for James to return, sources said.
James, 38, suffered the injury in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks following a drive on Dwight Powell in the third quarter. He was walking with a noticeable limp following the game.
James told ESPN’s Katie George during an on-court interview after the contest that he thought he stepped on Powell’s foot, causing the discomfort; however, replays showed it was a noncontact injury.
James also missed three consecutive games prior to the All-Star break with left foot and ankle soreness. Since he arrived in Los Angeles, the Lakers have gone 36-62 (.367) when James has been sidelined, including 5-9 this season.