NBA: LeBron James to sit, leaving Lakers short-handed vs. Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves in Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving the team shorthanded as they aim to maintain their playoff positioning. Despite recent losses, the Lakers have already secured a top-six spot in the Western Conference.

Field Level Media/Reuters

April 08, 2026

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, USA, April 5, 2026.

Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers will hold LeBron James out of Tuesday's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving the team extremely short-handed against the defending NBA champions.

James will not play due to injury management on a left foot injury that has persisted all season. The Lakers already were without guards Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique).

Doncic and Reaves were both injured during Los Angeles' 139-96 road loss to the Thunder on Thursday. Neither is expected to play over the final four games of the regular season.

James, 41, is scoring 20.8 points with 7.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 57 games (all starts) this season. Over his record 23 NBA seasons, the four-time MVP has averaged 26.8 points with 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

The Lakers (50-28) were on a four-game winning streak and were on a stretch of 16 victories in 18 games when they lost at Oklahoma City last week. They are now on a two-game skid after a 134-128 loss at Dallas on Sunday.

Los Angeles is fourth in the Western Conference heading into Tuesday's game, one game ahead of the fifth-place Houston Rockets. The Lakers have already clinched a top-six spot in the conference for the playoffs.

-Field Level Media/Reuters