Report: Lakers' LeBron James expected to miss Friday's game in Minnesota

James missed LA's last game with foot soreness.

Dec 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Lakers superstar LeBron James is unlikely to play on Friday against the Timberwolves at Target Center, according to a report from ESPN.

James missed LA's most recent game, a win over the Trail Blazers, due to foot soreness. He last played on Friday the 6th, so sitting in Minnesota would give him eight days off before a potential return on Sunday against the Grizzlies. If he misses that game as well, he would have nearly two weeks between appearances.

The NBA Cup has slowed the league's schedule. The Lakers and Wolves both have just two games between the 9th and the 18th, which were added to their schedules as teams who didn't make the knockout round. Both teams will have had four days off ahead of their matchup on Friday. The Wolves will travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs on Sunday, then will have three more days off before hosting the Knicks next Thursday and getting back into the usual swing of things.

The Lakers (13-11) sit a half-game above the Wolves (12-11) in the Western Conference standings. The teams have split a pair of meetings so far this season, with LA winning the season opener 110-103 at home and the Wolves winning 109-80 in Minneapolis earlier this month. James had just 10 points and 6 turnovers in the most recent matchup, shooting 4 for 16 from the floor.

A couple weeks ahead of his 40th birthday, James has continued to produce in his 22nd NBA season, though he's shown some very slight signs of slowing down. He's averaging 23 points (his lowest mark since his rookie year), 8 rebounds, and 9 assists per game on 49.5 percent shooting across 23 contests. Last Sunday was his first missed game of the season.

The Lakers could also be without Austin Reaves, who has missed five consecutive games with a pelvic contusion. They were led by Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and D'Angelo Russell in their win over Portland.

The Wolves will be looking to bounce back from Sunday's loss against the Warriors and remain above .500 on Friday.