Is LeBron James playing tonight against Blazers? Latest on 4x NBA MVP's status for Lakers' regular season finale (April 13)

LeBron James has been listed as out by the LA Lakers for the team's regular-season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers. James has been dealing with minor injuries throughout the season, so it's not surprising that he'll get rested on Sunday.

The latest Lakers injury report tagged James as out because of a strained left groin. He initially suffered the injury on March 9 against the Boston Celtics and missed seven games because of it. He's expected to be ready for the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs, which is set to start on April 19.

With the Lakers already clinching the number three spot, they weren't going to risk further injuries to their best players. The result of Sunday's game has no bearing on the purple and gold's position in the standings, while the Blazers are already heading to the lottery.

In addition to LeBron James, the LA Lakers have also ruled out Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber. Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are tagged as questionable, while Jordan Goodwin is probable.

It won't be surprising if Hayes and Vanderbilt get downgraded to out. Still, the Lakers will need to compete against the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Blazers are also expected to rest their key players and rely on their second-string guys.

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Anonymous scout worried about LeBron James in the playoffs

Anonymous scout worried about LeBron James in the playoffs. (Photo: IMAGN)

As mentioned above, the LA Lakers have already clinched the third seed in the Western Conference. However, they would have to wait for Sunday to find out who will be their matchup in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

If the Golden State Warriors beat the LA Clippers, they are getting the No. 6 spot and facing the Lakers in Round 1. If the Warriors lose, and the Minnesota Timberwolves win their regular-season finale, the Timberwolves will get the sixth seed and set up a clash at Crypto.com.

Despite ensuring the playoffs, one anonymous scout is worried about LeBron James. The scout mentioned James' potential effort on defense that would lead to easy baskets. The Lakers no longer have Anthony Davis to man the paint, so it's a combination of James, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes at center.

'The thing with LeBron is he's not going to foul," the scout said. "You can score on him with the right matchup,” the scout said. “With the right personnel, he could be exposed on defense in the playoffs. He's amazing, taking nothing from him, but it's a worry."

With a core featuring LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers will give up a lot on defense but are going to be nearly unstoppable on offense.