Lakers News: Availabilities Finalized For LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell For Afternoon Bulls Bout

One of the two starters will return today.

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star small forward LeBron James will suit up for his first game in a month this afternoon, in a matinee against the Chicago Bulls, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

James has been on the shelf for the Lakers' last 13 games due to a right foot tendon injury. The 38-year-old has been his typically productive self in his 47 healthy games thus far this season, averaging 29.5 points on .501/.308/.759 shooting splits, 8.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 0.9 steals a night. 

Starting Los Angeles point guard D'Angelo Russell, meanwhile, remains out with a sore right hip, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

After James rejected overtures that he would even be back for his team's final 3-4 regular season games earlier this week, your pals at All Lakers were skeptical he would be able to manage a return prior to the play-in tournament at all. Today's news thus stands as something of a (very welcome) surprise.

McMenamin reports that James will in fact not start, but will come off the bench (for just the second time in his entire career), in favor of his replacement, Troy Brown Jr. LA's starting five now will comprise Schröder running the point, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Brown at small forward, Jarred Vanderbilt at power forward and Anthony Davis at center.

The action will kick off this afternoon at 12:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet.

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