LeBron James Receives Final Injury Designation for Lakers vs. Bulls

The Los Angeles Lakers will be shorthanded heading into Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, as three players were ruled out earlier in the day, two of whom are key pieces to JJ Redick’s rotation.

While hosting the visiting Bulls at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers will be without veteran guard Marcus Smart, center Jaxson Hayes and forward Maxi Kleber.

Jaxson Hayes (back soreness), Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) and Marcus Smart (right hip contusion) have been downgraded to OUT for tonight’s game versus Chicago.

LeBron James (right hip contusion; left foot arthritis) remains QUESTIONABLE.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 12, 2026

However, the status of superstar forward LeBron James has been up in the air, as he remained questionable throughout the day until the Lakers' final injury report was released ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Bulls.

LeBron James Will Return Against Bulls

LeBron James (right hip contusion; left foot arthritis) has been upgraded to AVAILABLE for tonight’s game versus Chicago.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 13, 2026

James has missed the last three games while dealing with a hip contusion and left foot arthritis.

Fortunately for Los Angeles, the team has been able to withstand the absence of the four-time NBA champion, having won three straight games, two of which were against some of the league's elite squads, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lakers Have No Margin for Error in Final Stretch

Mar 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches against the New York Knicks in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Despite the Lakers kicking it into high gear recently, winning six of their last 10 games and three straight, the injuries starting to pile up again are concerning, to say the least. Clearly, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves can shoulder the load without James on the floor, but losing Smart could be a problem, as he's easily the team's best perimeter defender while also being a veteran leader on the floor and in the locker room.

With the standings in the Western Conference being as tight as they are right now, the Lakers have no margin for error heading into the final 16 regular-season games, as each one will be important and could drastically impact seeding ahead of the NBA playoffs, which get underway on April 18.

Fortunately, the Lakers are playing well at the moment and seem to be coming together with games getting increasingly more important. That could change quickly if the team can't bounce back from these injuries or if they continue to pile up in the games ahead.

After Thursday's game against the Bulls, the Lakers will host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday in another crucial game that will impact the seeding in the West.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.