Is LeBron James Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Lakers vs. Timberwolves)

The latest injury update for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the fifth game in a row, the Los Angeles Lakers will be without superstar LeBron James (sciatica) as he works his way back into the lineup.

James was expected to miss the first few weeks of the NBA season, targeting a return for some time in November. However, the Lakers have been hit by the injury bug across the board in their first four games, as Luka Doncic (finger, leg) is out and Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent and others have also missed time. Vincent is the latest Laker to be ruled out for multiple weeks with an ankle issue.

With James yet to make his season debut, L.A. is 2-2 heading into Wednesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers are road underdogs in that matchup, and guard Austin Reaves will attempt to put on another show to lead the Lakers to a win and get them back over .500 this season.

Sciatica is a tricky issue to deal with for James, as he'll likely have to monitor the issue throughout the 2025-26 season. The 40-year-old has been the definition of longevity in the NBA, but he also has a ton of miles on his body from all of the deep playoff runs he's made in his career.

The Lakers have not updated the timeline for James' potential return, so fans and bettors can expect him to miss at least a few more games.

That opens up some interesting angles in the prop market for L.A., including one that I love on Wednesday night.

Best Lakers Prop Bet vs. Timberwolves

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Austin Reaves OVER 29.5 Points (-114)

This prop is a no-brainer for the Lakers with both Doncic and James out of the lineup. Austin Reaves is averaging 35.8 points per game this season while shooting an impressive 57.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

In the last two games that Doncic has missed, Reaves has put up 51 and 41 points to lead the Lakers offense. Plus, he scored 26 and 25 points in the two games that Doncic appeared in to open the 2025-26 season.

The Lakers don't have many shot creators on their roster with James and Doncic out, and Reaves has stepped right into a 1A role, taking 44 shots and 36 free throws over his last two games.

With that kind of usage, he's a must bet to score 30 or more points -- even against this Minnesota defense. Reaves had 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting against Minnesota earlier this year in a game where Doncic scored 49.

He could be in the mix to push 40 points for the third game in a row on Wednesday.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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