Shams: Lakers' LeBron James Feared to Be Out 'Extended' Time with Foot Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers ruled star LeBron James out for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies after he suffered a right foot injury in Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium later reported his absence could extend well beyond Tuesday's contest:

Earlier Monday, James took to social media to share a photo of his injured foot:

There's no question the vibes around the Lakers have improved following the NBA trade deadline. And adding Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba addressed on-court issues with the roster.

But Los Angeles is still 12th in the Western Conference at 29-32 and 2.5 games off the sixth-place Dallas Mavericks. Closing that gap not only requires the team to discover the kind of consistency that has proven elusive but also means Anthony Davis and James can ill afford to miss any time.

James' high level of play likely played a key role in Pelinka being so aggressive at the deadline. The Lakers can maintain a level of confidence in still contending when their best player is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists.

The injuries have started to pile up for the 19-time All-Star, though.

James' value to the Lakers is obvious, and the limited number of games left in the regular season puts an even higher premium on his availability.

Head coach Darvin Ham has more depth now to help weather any absence by the 38-year-old, but L.A.'s hopes of making a deep postseason run still hinge significantly on his health and productivity.