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

The latest injury update for Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James in the team’s season opener against the Golden State Warriors.

LeBron James won't play in the Lakers' season opener. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without superstar LeBron James for their season opener against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

James is dealing with sciatica and is expected to miss multiple games to open the 2025 season. He’s officially been ruled out against Golden State.

With James out, the Lakers will likely turn to Rui Hachimura more on offense, and Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt could see an uptick in minutes in J.J. Redick’s rotation.

James appeared in 70 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. He earned an All-NBA Second Team nod for his play, but he’s facing an uphill battle to play 65 games or more in the 2025-26 season since he’s already banged up. 

The Lakers have moved to underdogs in the latest odds at the best betting sites for this matchup, as losing James undoubtedly weakens the team on offense.

Still, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are more than capable of stepping up in his absence, and Reaves could be worth a look in the prop market as a scorer in this matchup.

Best Lakers Prop Bet vs. Warriors With LeBron James Out

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Austin Reaves OVER 22.5 Points (-111)

Austin Reaves should be in line for a heavy workload in Game 1 of the NBA season, as the Lakers need him and Doncic to handle the ball for most of the game with James out.

Last season, Reaves was a revelation in the games that James missed, averaging 27.9 points, 8.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game across nine games played with the star sidelined. On top of that, Reaves scored 23 or more points in six of those matchups. 

The shots are going to be there for Reaves on Tuesday, and he should be motivated to put up big scoring numbers in a contract year. The Lakers guard also will get stretches where he is the primary option on offense when Doncic is out of the game.

For a player that can get to the line and score at all three levels, Reaves may be undervalued at this number given the circumstances surrounding the Lakers’ offense and rotation.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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