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Lakers star LeBron James is expected to remain sidelined for at least one more week as he continues to recover from a left groin strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Sunday during an appearance on NBA Countdown.
Charania first reported on March 9 that James’ groin ailment was expected to keep him on the shelf for a minimum of one to two weeks, so his latest report is consistent with that timeline.
According to Charania, James conducted an on-court workout on Sunday for the first time since suffering the injury on March 8. However, the Lakers will be cautious with his return, Charania notes, given that it’s a soft-tissue injury and the 40-year-old has played significant minutes this season after participating in the Olympics last summer.
Los Angeles has struggled without James available in the past week. In addition to dropping the game in Boston in which he was hurt, the team has since lost road contests in Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Denver as well. The Lakers are back in L.A. and will host Phoenix Sunday to tip off a five-game homestand, which runs through next Saturday.
Although it sounds as if James will likely remain inactive for that entire homestand, there are some positive injury updates out of Los Angeles. Starting center Jaxson Hayes will be available vs. the Suns after missing four games due to a knee contusion, per the team. Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are also available after being inactive on Friday in Denver.
Additionally, there’s optimism that Rui Hachimura, out since February 27 due to a knee issue of his own (patellar tendinopathy), will return within the week, according to Charania.
The 40-25 Lakers are in the midst of a battle to secure a playoff berth. They currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Rockets, Nuggets and Grizzlies (all tied at 43-25) and two games ahead of the 39-28 Warriors.
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Three potential trade destinations for Grizzlies' Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies' (3-3) 2025-26 season is just six games old, yet issues have already begun to arise with star point guard Ja Morant. Friday night’s loss at home to the Los Angeles Lakers (4-2) saw the 2019 second overall pick struggle to the tune of just eight points, seven assists and one rebound on 3-of-14 shooting, which included going 0/6 from beyond the arc. While that performance was concerning enough for the Grizzlies, the way Morant handled himself during and after the game was even worse. Morant was seen avoiding the huddle during an in-game timeout, and in his postgame press conference, he quickly directed the blame for his off night onto the coaching staff. Those actions have since led to Morant being suspended one game by the Grizzlies for conduct detrimental to the team. It’s yet another ugly situation for Morant in Memphis, adding to a long list of issues that have emerged on and off the court. It couldn’t be more obvious that both the player and team need a breakup, so let’s take a look at the three best fits for Morant to get said change of scenery. Minnesota Timberwolves No team is in more desperate need of a point guard than the Timberwolves. Mike Conley, 38, has been starting at the position in recent games, and, as solid a career as he’s had, that is not a good thing at this point. Anthony Edwards feels like the only true offensive creator in Minnesota, so bringing in Morant would give both guys the freedom to feed off one another as a 1-2 punch. The T-Wolves will always be Edwards’ team, which could greatly benefit Morant by allowing him to focus on his game rather than deal with all that comes with being the face of a franchise. Toronto Raptors Something's got to give in Toronto. The time for patience has passed, and the excuses have to stop. This roster has more than enough talent to compete for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, yet it’s still just not working. Immanuel Quickley has often been injured and, quite frankly, has not been cutting it even when on the court. The Raptors have lots of nice pieces, but they lack that true closer when the game gets into crunch time; enter Morant. At 26 years old, he fits right into the timeline to win with Scottie Barnes (24), Brandon Ingram (28) and RJ Barrett (25) as the core in Toronto. Time for another Kawhi Leonard-esque splash from Bobby Webster and company. Washington Wizards The third and final team that could be a sneaky good landing spot is the Wizards. Washington finally appears to have a direction and will eventually be able to start adding higher-end talent around the young nucleus they’re building. They may not be a contender anytime soon, but Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly have it feeling like the culture is shifting positively. Given that expectations are low, Morant could come in alongside all of this young talent, play his game and put the distractions aside. Not to mention the Wizards could probably make things work with Memphis thanks to their cap space and draft capital.
Matt LaFleur spills the beans on what the Packers really plan to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline
The Green Bay Packers don't tend to be the most active team ahead of trade deadlines. Since general manager Brian Gutekunst took over in 2018, he's never acquired a player in the week leading up to the deadline — on the other hand, he's sold Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Ty Montgomery, Rasul Douglas, and Preston Smith. However, Gutekunst did consider some trades — most notably, wide receiver Will Fuller back in 2020. Ultimately, the price requested by the Houston Texans wasn't right. This is mostly how the Packers will process things ahead of Tuesday's deadline. The roster is good enough The Packers already made two trades right before the season, acquiring Micah Parsons and Darian Kinnard. Asked about potential moves on Monday, head coach Matt LaFleur mentioned that the team doesn't need to add more players to be competitive, but the front office is making sure to evaluate opportunities. "I don't think so, not necessarily," LaFleur said about the need to add pieces. "I know Gutey and the rest of the guys upstairs are doing a great job of looking for things that could potentially help us, and if the right decision is there, I’ve got full confidence he’ll make it." Gutekunst and LaFleur have a close relationship, and the big roster decisions go through both of them, even though the GM has the final call. "We're in constant communication about everything," LaFleur added. While cornerback and defensive tackle were arguably the biggest needs on the roster, the tight end room also became thin with Tucker Kraft's season-ending knee injury. Right now, the only two TEs on the roster are Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick — Josh Whyle is on the practice squad and could be promoted or elevated. The trade deadline is at 3 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Don't expect big moves from the Packers, but something might happen — and as always, only if the price is right. This article was originally published on A to Z Sports Green Bay, as "Matt LaFleur spills the beans on what the Packers really plan to do ahead of the NFL trade deadline."
Packers linked to trade for former All-Pro to replace Kenny Clark
The Packers could look to upgrade the defense ahead of the NFL trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, especially after Panthers running back Rico Dowdle paved the way to Carolina upsetting Green Bay Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. Dowdle’s 130 yards and two touchdowns was the catalyst to an upset win over the Packers, but also served to further expose one of Green Bay’s most glaring weaknesses along the front seven. Could Packers trade for Calais Campbell? If general manager Brian Gutekunst is working the phones in hopes of replacing the run-stuffing interior lineman the Packers traded away in Kenny Clark as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster this past summer, Calais Campbell could be an ideal fit. Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, Pro Football Focus lists the Packers as one of Campbell’s best fits and possible trade destinations. "Even at 39, Campbell has still been an above-average player for the Cardinals this season," Bradley Locker writes for PFF. "He’s on track for a 15th straight year with a 71.0-plus overall PFF grade, and has been a well-rounded addition for Arizona’s new-look defense. Campbell has generated 11 pressures while also producing a 70.0 PFF run-defense grade. "The Cardinals’ promising start has taken a wayward turn for the worst, one that doesn’t seem especially salvageable. With Campbell at his age and on a one-year deal, shipping him away — particularly to pave the way for playing time for younger players — could be logical. Kansas City’s 28.8 run-defense grade by interior defenders is the lowest in the NFL, and a reunion in Jacksonville isn’t out of the question." So far this season, Campbell — who boasts 113.5 sacks through 18 seasons — has three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He is still playing at a high level despite his advanced age and the trajectory of the Cardinals’ 2025 campaign. Arizona’s season has quickly fallen off a cliff, but Campbell could have the chance to chase a Super Bowl ring if the Packers pull off a trade. He would immediately become a key piece along defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s front seven.
Giants offensive lineman delivers harsh truth about team struggles that many inside the organization won’t admit
The New York Giants' season has been an incredibly bumpy one thus far. From blown fourth-quarter leads to being trounced at home numerous times, the Giants have offered little to be excited about nine games in. It's been increasingly frustrating to observe the on-field performance every week while getting lip service from players and coaches. Many haven't been honest or direct about how they feel about the team's direction. Head coach Brian Daboll has been especially opaque when asked to address underperforming coaches and players. Today, when speaking to the media, Giants' starting offensive lineman Jon Runyan delivered a surprisingly honest message about how the recent loss to the San Francisco 49ers felt. "Going out there and kind of putting out the performance we had as a team, seeing the San Fran fans all packing the stadium, I felt embarrassed leaving the field," Runyan told reporters, "and that's not really a feeling you want to have leaving your own home stadium." Jon Runyan gives an honest assessment of the Giants There have been numerous games this season where the Giants have completely collapsed. From the Cowboys beating them in overtime to the Broncos mounting a late fourth-quarter comeback, the Giants have failed to execute when they've needed to most. According to Runyan, that's been a contributing factor to the poor vibes in the locker room. "I feel like the wind, it kind of took the wind out of our sails, unfortunately," Runyan told the media, "But that's how this league is. It's brutal. You got to keep going after witnessing something like that, and it's tough. Those are the times where you have to come together as teammates and as brothers, and get this stuff fixed out." Runyan also added that the team established a strong bond during the offseason. And it's been shocking to see the poor performance, given how they worked in the offseason. "Yeah, it hurts. I think everybody in the locker room is pretty upset. I feel like going back to the offseason program, the training camp, I felt like we really built a strong brotherhood and culture throughout this locker room," Runyan stated, "And for us to be sitting in the same spot we were last year is not where we want it to be, not where we thought we would be. It hurts. Still got half a season left to go. I mean, the guys in this building on this offense and defense, this team, we're fighters, so we're going to keep going." Now that the Giants are likely out of playoff contention, the heat on Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen's seats is starting to increase. It feels inevitable that the franchise will undergo a complete reset by the end of the year. Runyan was one of the first people within the organization to have a comforting viewpoint on how to approach the second half of the season. "Anything else external, outside the building, pressures, talking about whatever is going on with our team, that's for other people to talk about. We don't look at that as something we're worried about. We're not worried about who we're playing in three weeks from now. We're not worried what the state of the organization is going to look for now ... However, it shapes up, that's not up to me. That's not my decision. So, I don't pay any mind about it, and we're still going to go out there and play with our coaches and our guys that we have out there, and we're going to play hard." What the future holds for the Giants is currently a bit unclear. But it was at least encouraging to hear such an honest assessment of the team's state for once.
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