Why is LeBron James not playing tonight against Trail Blazers? Latest injury update for Lakers star (Nov 12)

The LA Lakers are in action on Sunday night, but they will be without LeBron James. Reports recently emerged that the star forward has been sidelined for this upcoming matchup.

It was announced that LeBron James it out against the Blazers due to a left calf contusion. This will be the first game of the year that he's going to miss.

This injury appeared to have occured during Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns. After the game, he was seen walking with a stiff limp.

LeBron is now added to the long list of names on the injury report for the Lakers. Gabe Vincent and Jarded Vanderbilt are both out, and Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes are day-to-day but listed as probable.

Through the Lakers' first nine games, LeBron was continuing to play at a high level. He is leading the team in scoring (25.2 PPG), along with 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Looking at the other side of this matchup, the Portland Trail Blazers will also be without multiple key players. Among those listed as out includes Scoot Henderson, Malcolm Brogdon and Anfernee Simons.

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Who will start in place of LeBron James against the Portland Trail Blazers?

As one of the main focal points of the team, being without LeBron James is a tough blow for the LA Lakers. Following this news, head coach Darvin Ham has a big decision to make regarding his starting lineup.

Recently, Ham has opted for size in his first unit. After coming out of the gates slow, Austin Reaves was moved to the bench and replaced by Cam Reddish.

If Ham wanted to stick with size, Rui Hachimura is someone who could get the nod with LeBron out. He's played well to start the season, averaging 11 points per game. Having Hachimura out there could help the lineup as he's been one of the Lakers' best three-point shooters at 40%.

There is also the possibility of Ham going with a jumbo-sized lineup and inserting Christian Wood into the starting lineup. The late offseason acquisition is averaging 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds for his new team. Letting Wood run with the starters would also allow Anthony Davis to slide over to power forward, where he's more comfortable.

Aside from these two, Reaves is someone who get another opportunity with the starters. With LeBron on the sidelines, he'd have a chance to get more touches. This could help the young guard break out of his early slump.