The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday, April 7. Los Angeles is already without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, two of their primary offensive options.
More bad news for JJ Redick’s side: LeBron James was not available for the OKC rematch as he is managing left foot soreness.
But, as per outspoken NBA analyst Skip Bayless, there’s more to King James’ injury than meets the eye.
Skip Bayless Questions LeBron James Sitting Out the Lakers-Thunder Clash
Just a few days earlier, the Lakers were steamrolled 139-96 by OKC, the defending NBA champions. The West-leading team handed the Lakers their biggest defeat (43 points) of the season.
Prior to their crushing defeat to OKC, the Lakers were on a hot streak with a 13-1 record. But OKC outdid them in every segment of the game. The Lakers’ defense was in disarray, and they also lost key players in that game. It completely shattered Los Angeles’ momentum and exposed their weaknesses.
With the Lakers against the Thunder in a highly anticipated rematch, King James suddenly appearing on the injury report has turned heads across the league.
More so since the four-time NBA champion carried the offense single-handedly in the Lakers’ previous game against the Dallas Mavericks. The 41-year-old lit up the scoreboard with a 30-point, 15-assist double-double.
SEE ALSO: Mavericks Fire Back At JJ Redick’s Claim That They Botched Lakers Star Austin Reaves’ MRI
There were no reports of James sustaining an injury against the Mavs. The likely reason he didn’t suit up vs. OKC could be the Lakers keeping their veteran in good shape and not risking a fresh injury with the playoffs approaching.
However, Bayless didn’t shy away from going as far as accusing the King of ducking the rematch against OKC.
“LeBron just said, ‘No way am I playing against THOSE GUYS tonight without Luka and AR and Marcus. What, you think I’m crazy?’” Bayless posted on X.
LeBron just said, “No way am I playing against THOSE GUYS tonight without Luka and AR and Marcus. What, you think I’m crazy?”
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 7, 2026
The Lakers have already qualified for the playoffs, but their recent stumbles have pushed them down the standings. They slipped to fourth in the West with a 50-28 record.
The Lakers still have four games left in the regular season, including the rematch against OKC. A 0.5-game deficit behind the Denver Nuggets for the third seed is still within reach.
But losing key players at such a crucial juncture of the season makes things challenging. Now, with James sidelined against OKC, there’s a real risk of the Lakers slipping further in the standings, with the Houston Rockets right behind them, just one game shy of the fourth seed.
