Lakers News: Latest on LeBron James’ Injury Timetable, Alex Caruso’s Departure

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Over the first month of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been inconsistent. They’ve shown glimpses of their full potential, but they’ve also had some struggles, resulting in an 8-8 start.

However, Los Angeles hasn’t been at full strength for many of those first 16 games. A big reason for that has been the absence of LeBron James, who has been limited to six games because of an abdominal strain. When he returns, the Lakers may take things to another level.

Here’s some of the latest news surrounding James and the Lakers.

When Will James Return to Action for Los Angeles?

James hasn’t played since Nov. 2, but he seems to be trending in the right direction. On Thursday, the Lakers announced the 36-year-old had been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s road matchup against the Boston Celtics.

However, it isn’t yet known how likely it is that James will take the court in Boston. What are the odds that he could suit up and lead the Lakers to victory?

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, there’s a “50-50” chance that James will play Friday, per sources close to the Los Angeles star. When James had been asked on Wednesday about whether he would play, he had said, “I hope,” according to McMenamin.

Although James didn’t play in the Lakers’ loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, he worked out on the court in Milwaukee. Still, he was held out of action for another game.

“I was hoping he was going to play each of the last seven games or whatever it’s been since he’s been out,” Los Angeles head coach Frank Vogel said, per McMenamin. “I always hope he’s going to play. I’m always optimistic. He’s still day-to-day. No decisions are made.”

But it seems James will be back soon. If he doesn’t play on Friday against the Celtics, perhaps he could return for the Lakers’ next game, which will be another road matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Prior to the injury, James was off to a solid start to the season, averaging 24.8 points, 7.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.

What Led to Caruso’s Departure from Los Angeles?

After playing his first four NBA seasons with the Lakers, Alex Caruso switched teams for the first time this past offseason, signing a four-year, $37 million deal with the Chicago Bulls. But that doesn’t mean the 27-year-old guard didn’t try to return to Los Angeles.

Oram recently reported the Lakers gave Caruso a three-year, $21 million offer to return to the team, but that wasn’t what he was looking for. Then, numerous non-taxpaying teams outbid Los Angeles, such as Chicago and the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Oram.

When the Bulls gave Caruso a bigger offer, he took it back to the Lakers to see if they would match it, and when they didn’t, whether they would at least give him a two-year, $20 million deal, per Oram. However, it’s now evident how that turned out.

“Again, the Lakers said no,” Oram wrote. “Their offer stayed at $21 million over three years, and the moment calcified a perception that already existed. Faced with going deep into the luxury tax to retain one of their most valuable role players, the Lakers balked. Caruso was their first call in free agency on Aug. 2, but they never budged from their initial offer.”

And with that, a new chapter of Caruso’s career began, while the Lakers went out and signed numerous experienced players to help fill that void on their bench. It may take some time before it’s clear whether Los Angeles made the right decision to not pay Caruso more.

However, Caruso has gotten off to a solid start with the Bulls. He’s averaging 7.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 15 games. He’s also helped Chicago win 10 of its first 15 games to begin the 2021-22 season.