LeBron James injury update: Lakers star returning to lineup

The Los Angeles Lakers should get LeBron James back from his sore ankle soon with two target dates for a return to the lineup set.

Right in time for the playoffs, the Lakers have some good news on LeBron James.

The star forward should be back in the lineup this week.

The target for James is to return on Tuesday against the Knicks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. If he’s not ready by then, he’ll attempt to come back on Wednesday against the Rockets.

James has missed all but two of the Lakers’ last 25 games because of a high ankle sprain. He sat out more than a month with the initial recovery. However, after playing twice at the end of April and the start of May, he felt a lingering impact and returned to the bench. They went 9-14 in that stretch without him.

LeBron James needs to be healthy for the playoffs with the Lakers

Los Angeles is now sitting in the seventh seed, which will force them to participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament. There are just four games left to pass Portland and avoid that extra postseason challenge.

Having James back healthy, along with Anthony Davis, is key to the Lakers’ hopes in the playoffs, especially with the team dealing with so many other injuries. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Jared Dudley, Marc Gasol, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kyle Kuzma and Dennis Schroder are all dealing with ailments.

With the two stars, Los Angeles could make a run to repeat as NBA Champions. However, with either at less than 100 percent, their chances of holding onto the title are slim.

James leads the Lakers with 25 points per game this season while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. He’s averaging 7.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists as well.