Lakers star LeBron James could not take the court to begin the preseason due to a right glute issue, and apparently, the injury is more serious than initially believed.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James will miss at least three to four weeks due to sciatica in his right side. Due to the timeframe, he won’t be available for Opening Night for the first time in his 23-year NBA career.
After failing to play at least 60 games in three consecutive seasons, James appeared in 71 and 70 games the past two. His absence opens up a spot within the Lakers’ starting lineup, raising the fantasy ceilings of Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton.
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Who will start with LeBron sidelined? Lakers head coach JJ Redick has multiple options at his disposal, but regardless of who he selects, that player will likely be more impactful defensively than offensively. Holdover Jarred Vanderbilt and offseason addition Marcus Smart are two possibilities, with each bringing more consistent production to the table on the defensive end of the floor. While Smart has been the better scorer of the two throughout their careers, he hasn’t always been a consistent shooter.
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Another option is offseason addition Jake LaRavia, who has started the Lakers’ first two preseason games. While not the defender that Vanderbilt or Smart is, LaRavia’s versatility makes him an intriguing deep-league option if he’s allowed to start in James’ place.
As for the remaining starters, Luka Dončić is the Laker whose draft outlook will be impacted the least, as he already boasts a top-5 ADP. He’ll have even more responsibility to begin the year, so fantasy managers who land Dončić will hope his efficiency does not take a hit with LeBron unavailable.
Reaves, Ayton and Rui Hachimura should all move up draft boards, with the former being the safest option to reach for. Last season, Reaves provided fourth-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Hachimura was a late-round option a season ago, and he remains a player who should be selected just outside the first 100 picks.
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Ayton is the wild card, especially considering his play in the Lakers’ first two preseason games. After a listless effort in the team’s opener, the center was better in Sunday’s exhibition loss to the Warriors. The former first-overall pick doesn’t lack talent, but inconsistent effort is why the Lakers signed him on a relatively cheap deal this summer.
Ayton totaled 95 appearances in his two seasons with the Trail Blazers, including 40 during the 2024-25 campaign.
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