Report: LeBron James to miss more time, Rui Hachimura could return this week

The latest updates on LeBron James and Rui Hachimura is a mixed bag of news as the pair look to return from injuries for the Lakers.

The Lakers ended their recent road trip severely undermanned and beaten up. While the return home brought with it the return of a good chunk of the players who were unavailable in the team’s narrow loss to the Nuggets, both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura remained out.

The pair have the most serious of the injuries — Maxi Kleber notwithstanding — of the rotation players. LeBron has been dealing with a groin strain suffered just over a week ago while Rui exited a game against the Clippers just over two weeks ago.

Prior to Sunday afternoon’s game against the Suns, Shams Charania appeared on the pregame show to talk about both LeBron and Rui and where they stand on potential returns.

The biggest news here is, obviously, LeBron getting back on the court. Even if he’s not healthy enough to play, the fact he can get back on the floor and do a workout is a very positive sign.

The Lakers’ approach with LeBron has been cautious throughout the season and there’s no reason for that to change now.

With Rui, his return appears to be much more imminent. He was initially given a one-week timeline before being reassessed. At that point, the team said he was in return to play protocols and there would be another update in week.

That timeframe came and passed at the end of the road trip, but considering this report and the fact he returned to Los Angeles ahead of the team, it feels like good signs. The team will have a five-game homestand this week, so there are plenty of chances for Hachimura to make his return.

Overall, while it wasn’t the best possible news of both players returning, it was largely optimistic news for the Lakers on Sunday.

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