LeBron James OUT at least 3 weeks with injury | What it means for Lakers playoff hopes | CBS Sports

R&B insider Bill Ryder to give us some context here. Bill, what's the very latest in terms of now getting a little bit more clarification in terms of how much time LeBron James is going to miss? Yeah, Tommy this this certainly fits the pattern that I was told to expect when we first found out about LeBron James injury earlier in the week in the sense that then and I think now as well Lakers officials aren't saying LeBron James will miss the rest of the season but they had said a few days ago and they're saying again in the wake of this news that it's certainly in the realm of possibilities. If you take the three week window we know about now that's been extended to at least three weeks. It's basically Tommy half of their remaining games you know to the precarious position they're in just in terms of qualifying for that play in situation. So as I understand it, if we get down the road, if we get to this three weeks, A LeBron James could just be injured enough that he can't play. But I'm told there's also the scenario where if the Lakers don't perform well in the next 10 days and he's 50-50 let's say to try to get back out there there could always be a determination that it's not worth it if we get to a point where the Lakers are just too far behind for this season to feel salvageable. It's interesting you brought that up because when I saw three weeks I went straight to the schedule to see how much was left there and to your point it's about halfway through to see where they are.

So again, give me a sense of where the teams I know Anthony Davis set out their last game that they were able to come away with. But right now, you know, prospects were high post trade deadline for this team. Now that James is out, what type of team are we going to see in the court? Yeah, you said it. And I can tell you that the Lakers officials, folks in that organization really believed whether they were right or wrong. We'll never know, I think Tommy, that they had a real chance to get into the play or maybe better post trade deadline, get everybody healthy before LeBron got hurt. And they thought make make a really serious push. And I haven't heard anything from the Lakers that that would change that tune.

I wouldn't believe that they tried to sell me a positivity that but and I haven't heard anything to change that tune. But certainly rival GMs and rival folks around the NBA in the last few days really this week with the LeBron news are no longer sweating any kind of Lakers emergence. And we've seen I think some of that reality with Anthony Davis clearly not playing in every back to back, even though every one of these games matters even more so now LeBron out. And again, with the with the news that LeBron is going to miss at least around half of the remaining 20 games that the Lakers have in that range. And the possibility he misses more. It's not like they're going to throw up the white flag and not play Tommy. But I think the sense that there's real positivity building for this year has become pretty close to ending here in Los Angeles for the Lakers.

Bill, before I let you go here again, I'm going to go a little macro because everyone's going to want to know, you know, we know LeBron James wants to play continue to play and the season has not gone as scripted. Given what we're experiencing right now is all predicated, of course, if they can try to make it to a postseason type of scenario. But what's LeBron's future like with the Lakers as you understand it at the moment? Okay, so here I'll tell you because I've talked to Lakers sources about this and folks around the NBA. But here's the caveat as we all know, LeBron James at times changes his mind on individuals and on what he wants to do with his future. But everything I'm hearing Tommy is that at least right now, LeBron James wants to be and expects to remain a Los Angeles Laker. He has never in his career. I think it's worth noting ever forced his way out of a team when he's been under contract.

He's still under contract. And I get the sense that if LeBron wants major changes, it's not going to be LeBron leaving LA. It could be and I'm not reporting this but there's certainly some whispers about the idea of LeBron wanting other big names with the Lakers to leave LA. Everything at least for now points over the course of this contract he has over the course of the next year that he will remain a Los Angeles Laker. All right, Bill, certainly appreciate as always the insight from our insider Bill Ryder here in CBS Sports HQ. And again, the Lakers were able to get it done without LeBron James without Anthony Davis. But again, not with LeBron for at least the next three weeks, he will be reevaluated in that time.

Take a look at their upcoming schedule tomorrow to see what happens. And again, LeBron begins the timber walls, then they get the dubs and the grids over the next few days. Do you want a sports network that delivers everything that matters about the game that highlights the picks, the instant analysis, no yelling, no fake debates, no politics. Hit the subscribe button and never miss a moment.

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