On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that LeBron James will miss Wednesday’s matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers as well as potentially a “few” more games due to irritation in his left knee.
For the Lakers, the severity of James’ knee injury and his upcoming absence come at a critical juncture of the season, as the team not only continues to slip in the standings, but will have decisions to make with the trade deadline looming in the near distance.
Currently sitting in ninth-place in the Western Conference, and with only 31 games left in the season, the Lakers will likely be among the most aggressive buyers come the Feb.