Lakers-Thunder Injury Report: LeBron James, Marcus Smart Update

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to deal with several injuries to key players on the roster in the final stretch of the season.

Jan 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks to pass the ball to guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a brutal stretch of the 2025-26 NBA season, with the team dealing with several injuries to star players, including Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart.

Along with those three stars being on the mend, superstar forward LeBron James popped up on the Lakers' injury report on Monday ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.

LeBron James Listed as Questionable vs. Thunder

LeBron James is QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow's game vs. Thunder, while Marcus Smart remains OUT: pic.twitter.com/ymu02zdGxI

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) April 7, 2026

James has been managing left foot arthritis all season, which has him listed as questionable ahead of the game against the Thunder. Smart, however, will miss an eighth straight game due to a right ankle contusion.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick has been managing minutes and even games that the 41-year-old will miss for rest purposes.

It appears Tuesday's game against the defending NBA champions might be one of those games James misses, as the Lakers' coaching staff now has to be incredibly careful with the team's players, with only four games left in the regular season and the devastating injuries already suffered by Doncic and Reaves.

At this point, the Lakers just want to get through the final four games of the regular season as healthy as they can be with as many wins as possible. The team took another step back on Sunday, with a loss to Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, which was a surprising result, even without Doncic, Reaves and Smart on the floor.

If James misses Tuesday's game against the Thunder, the Lakers will have to lean heavily on the team's bench, which doesn't bode well for a strong performance from this squad. Even at full strength, minus Smart, Los Angeles didn't stand a chance against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company in Oklahoma City, losing by 43 points.

Even if James is cleared to play in this game, it will likely be more of the same against arguably the best team in the league. Redick will likely go with a heavy dose of Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt, while Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr. and Kobe Bufkin may also see some time off the bench.

Following Tuesday's game in Los Angeles, the Lakers will have three games left on their regular-season schedule, facing the Golden State Warriors in the Bay Area on Thursday, followed matchups with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz to finish the regular season.

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