LeBron James misses second straight game for Lakers; JJ Redick doesn’t know when the star will return

On By Littum

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James, who turns 40 later this month, did not travel with the team to Minnesota and missed last Sunday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers with a sore foot.

Asked before Friday’s game if he knew when James would return, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said, “No.” Earlier this week, Redick said James is “taking some time off” from practice after the team was given extra days of rest due to its failure to advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Should James return Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, he has had eight days between games.

Redick added Wednesday that the excused absence for James is due to “personal reasons.” No other details have been released.

The coach said before Sunday’s Trail Blazers game that the break for James this week “could be really good for him.” After the game, he urged all Lakers players to make the most of the extended early season break.

“Hell, if somebody wants to spend a couple of nights in Santa Barbara and relax, that’s fine too,” Redick said. according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s a quarter through the season.”

James has averaged 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8 rebounds this season and remains one of the league’s most dominant forces. He’s also shown signs of wear and tear, including a 10-point effort in a Dec. 2 loss to the Timberwolves that threatened to snap a streak of 1,242 games scored in double figures.

The Lakers (13-11) also stumbled into the NBA Cup break with seven losses in 10 games, including a 134-93 loss to the Heat on Dec. 4. If there are opportunities for James to take a step back within the confines of NBA rules, it makes sense for him and the Lakers to take advantage.

“In the game, he’s called for a sub a couple of times because he’s been gassed,” Redick told McMenamin. “For us, we have to be aware as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes and Sunday, getting beat up with the foot, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest .”

While it may just be that rest is needed, the absence of James has sparked rumors that the four-time NBA MVP and NBA champion could be traded.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that James’ name has come up in conversation around the league. The Golden State Warriors had inquired about pairing James with Stephen Curry prior to last season’s trade deadline, but were shot down by both James and the Lakers.

James has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he is able to control his destination if he is open to moving on from Los Angeles.