LeBron James May Miss A Few More Games

Despite some optimism that LeBron James might be able to return to action for the Lakers as soon as Wednesday, the star forward will remain sidelined for Wednesday’s contest vs. Portland and could miss a few more games, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

James is dealing with a left knee injury. An MRI on the knee only showed swelling and no structural damage, but both LeBron and the Lakers want to play it safe, according to Charania. The plan is to wait until the irritation in James’ knee subsides before having him return to action.

After hosting the Blazers on Wednesday, the Lakers visit the Clippers on Thursday and then host the Knicks on Saturday. It’s unclear whether James will be able to return by the weekend or if his absence will extend into next week. Los Angeles will host the Bucks next Tuesday and visit the Blazers next Wednesday.

While the Lakers’ priority is to make sure James is healthy down the stretch and in the postseason, the team could certainly his presence in the lineup — he has now missed three games, and L.A. lost all three, slipping to 24-27 on the season. The club is the No. 9 seed in the West, but is in no immediate danger of falling out of the play-in picture, with the 11th-seeded Spurs five games back.

Malik Monk has been inserted into the Lakers’ starting lineup during James’ absence and will likely remain there until LeBron returns.

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