Lakers To Have Doncic and Hayes Against Suns, When Could Hachimura and James Return From Injuries

Injuries have certainly loaded up on the Los Angeles Lakers recently. But the Lakers have received good news since returning home after going 0-for-4 on their recent road trip. Will Rui Hachimura and LeBron James return soon?

Los Angeles entered their recent tough four-game, week-long road trip playing its best basketball of the season. Already without Jaxson Hayes and Hachimura for the trip, James and Luka Dončić picked up injuries during the four games. The Lakers subsequently lost to Boston (111-101), Brooklyn (111-108), Milwaukee (126-106), and Denver (131-126). James sat out the final three contests, while Dončić missed the loss to the Nuggets.

Due to their recent road performance, the LA fell from second to fifth in the Western Conference. However, the Lakers are still in a pretty good position as they enter their Sunday matinee against the Suns (31-36), who sit 11th in the conference. The Lakers have won 12 of their 18 games since acquiring Dončić.

Lakers Likely To Have Doncic and Hayes Against Suns, When Could Hachimura and James Return From Injuries

Dončić didn’t play on Friday night as it was a back-to-back for the Lakers, and he is dealing with a calf and right ankle sprain. The good news for the Lakers is that the 26-year-old Slovenian is expected to play against Phoenix today.

Dončić has yet to find a rhythm offensively in his 13 games since joining Los Angeles. But he is still putting up solid numbers with 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 1.7 steals with a shooting split of .412/.344/.757. The Lakers are 8-5 with Dončić in the lineup, though more significantly, they are 1.5 points offensively and 4.0 better defensively with him on the court than off (per 100 possessions). He has a +4.9 plus/minus rating.

Dončić was not the only Laker with an injury designation. Of the nine players listed on LA’s injury report, six are considered probable. Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, and Hayes are also slated to play against the Suns.

Like Dončić, Vincent missed the loss at Denver. Vincent, who has steadily increased his production throughout the season, is dealing with a knee issue, though the 28-year-old guard was previously questionable.

Vincent, Dončić, Finney-Smith, and Hayes will be active for Los Angeles, Khobi Price of The SoCal News Group said via X. Price added that Knecht is still probable at 1:30 p.m. (ET).

“Lakers have upgraded Luka Dončić, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes, and Gabe Vincent to available vs. Phoenix. Dalton Knecht remains probable.”

Knecht is officially available as well per Price at 2 p.m. (ET)

Jaxson Hayes Returns

While all the Lakers received as good news as possible concerning their injuries, the best was likely in regards to Hayes. Hayes last played on March 6, meaning he has not played the Lakers’ last four due to a knee injury. Hayes, who is projected to start against the Suns replacing Alex Len, has been fantastic over his last 15 contests, averaging 8.2 points and five rebounds over 23 minutes. The Lakers are 28-12 in games Hayes has played.

Finney-Smith’s availability means he only sat out one game with an ankle ailment. Meanwhile, Knecht is dealing with a minor back problem, which is why it is listed as a problem.

Los Angeles continues to be without Hachimura and James. The Lakers also won’t have Trey Jemison III due to an illness. Jemison was inactive on Friday after picking up the sickness, as though he was recently added to the team’s injury report. So, he must have woken up feeling poorly.

Before being active in the past three games, Jemison had seen an uptick in playing time as the Lakers were shorthanded, and JJ Redick chose to go with the 25-year-old, who is on a two-way deal, over Len. He compiled 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14 minutes of action over his five March appearances.

When Will Rui Hachimura and LeBron James Return

Hachimura (knee) will miss his ninth straight game, while today marks James’ fourth consecutive absence and eighth overall. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, James (groin) will also miss at least the team’s next four games.

“Reporting for ABC NBA Countdown: LeBron James has his first on-court workout today – with ESPN footage – plus a Lakers return timetable update.”

This report from Charania shouldn’t be a surprise, as ESPN reported that the timeline for the 40-year-old James to return to the court was one to two weeks when the injury occurred last Saturday.

Charania added that there is optimism that Hachumyra could be later this week. This news coincides with what Redick said before Friday’s Denver contest via Sportsnet’s Mike Trudell.

“JJ Redick on Hayes/Hachimura/LeBron, possibly returning within the next week, whether it’s two days or 7: “They’re all very close to returning.”

After LA’s game against Phoenix, the Lakers will remain home until next Monday, when they head to Orlando to begin a three-game trip. In between, the Lakers host San Antonio (March 17), Denver (March 19), Milwaukee (March 20,) and Chicago (March 22).

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