LeBron James is still sidelined by the foot injury he sustained a few weeks ago, but head coach Darvin Ham stated on Sunday that the Lakers are expecting to have their star forward back "at some point" before the season is over.
Via ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Ham provided an update on James' injury, and while he didn't hone in on a specific date, he indicated a return during the regular season is on the cards for the 38-year-old.
"We anticipate him coming back at some point," said Ham of LeBron.
The Lakers (34–37) have just 11 games remaining in the regular season. The team currently sits in 11th place in the West, one-half behind the Jazz for the final seed in the NBA play-in tournament.
James suffered the injury during the second half against the Mavericks on Feb. 26 and has been sidelined since. In this most recent injury spell, the 19-time All-Star has missed 10 games. He's missed a total of 24 games on the year, and will miss his 25th game on Sunday evening when Los Angeles hosts the Magic.
The Lakers began a five-game home stand on Friday against Dallas and won't be on the road again until March 29, when they travel to Chicago to square off with the Bulls.
With L.A.’s season coming down to the wire in terms of their hunt for a playoff or play-in seed, James’ availability could be a critical component in determining whether or not the team misses the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
