The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Apr. 11 that LeBron James and Jaxson Hayes are both listed as questionable due to left foot injury management for Sunday’s regular season finale against the Utah Jazz.
The status of these players is significant as the Lakers approach their final game of the regular season, which could impact their playoff seeding. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will remain out, but all other players are expected to be available for the matchup.
Marcus Smart returned to action on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns after missing nine games with an ankle injury. Smart said he felt good physically upon his return and appreciated the organization’s caution in allowing him time to recover fully. He played only 18 minutes under a minutes restriction but hopes, along with head coach JJ Redick, to see more playing time against Utah.
The outcome of Sunday’s game could affect playoff positioning for Los Angeles. If they win and the Denver Nuggets lose, the Lakers would secure the third seed and face Minnesota in the first round; otherwise, they would take fourth place and play Houston. Regardless of results, Los Angeles has already clinched home-court advantage in the opening round.
JJ Redick addressed how injuries have challenged his team throughout this NBA season but expressed pride in their resilience: “I would say I’m extremely proud of our team, our players and our coaches, for dealing with the entire NBA season,” Redick said. “I think for maybe one or two teams a year they don’t have a lot of ups and downs and the roller coaster is fairly flat. But for most every team in the NBA, your ability to bounce back from failure is the key to aggregation of what your season is… I know none of you guys had us in top four to begin this season… So we’ve had to manage expectations… I think our group has managed that well.”
Following Sunday’s game, both James and Hayes will have nearly a week before postseason play begins—providing additional time for recovery ahead of potential playoff matchups.
