LeBron James missed his first recreation of the season Sunday with foot soreness, however he is not anticipated to be out lengthy — and the Lakers cannot afford for him to be.
It seems LeBron may even miss Friday’s Lakers recreation in Minnesota, stories Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
That might give James, who missed Sunday’s recreation due to foot soreness, eight days between video games if he returns Sunday in opposition to Memphis.
He was additionally away from the Lakers for private causes. coach JJ Redick instructed reporters.
“LeBron just isn’t with the staff right now. He’s out for private causes, an excused absence,” Redick stated.
All of this makes it appear extremely unlikely that LeBron will journey with the Lakers to Minnesota for Friday’s recreation.
This all comes as commerce hypothesis has raged round LeBron, with stories that the Golden State Warriors and different groups are monitoring LeBron’s scenario to see if he would possibly need to depart Los Angeles. Do not wager on the success of a commerce. First, LeBron has a no-trade clause and is in full management of the method. He cannot be traded except he requests a commerce, and the Lakers won’t ever commerce him except he calls for it as a result of he is too essential to their enterprise (he is the one filling the stands with excessive ticket costs, the one which sponsors flock to be redeemed). close by, the one who sells jerseys and merchandise). LeBron had probabilities to go away, together with this summer season whereas he was a free agent, and as a substitute he not solely re-signed with the Lakers — and supplied to take a reduction to assist appeal to extra of expertise within the checklist – he requested that no-commercial clause.
The Lakers drafted Bronny James due to LeBron — and since Bronny has potential as a prospect — and gave Bronny a assured NBA contract, not a two-way contract. There isn’t a means LeBron goes to surrender taking part in in the identical group as his son. Which brings us to the ultimate hurdle in all of this: even when LeBron determined he wished to attempt to rediscover the magic of the Paris Olympics and staff up with Stephen CurryThis can be a sophisticated commerce to make as a result of luxurious tax restrictions restrict each the Lakers and Warriors, neither can take extra money in a commerce than they ship. Matching an nearly dollar-for-dollar commerce turns into that rather more tough when LeBron asks Bronny to be a part of the deal and go together with him, which might most probably be a stipulation.
LeBron is not going anyplace. In all probability not even in Minnesota this weekend.
