Lakers' LeBron James Upgraded to Doubtful vs. Bulls, Moves Closer to Injury Return

The Los Angeles Lakers upgraded star LeBron James (right foot soreness) to doubtful for the team's home game against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic added that James now "appears closer to a return."

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on March 17 that James was "not close to returning" from the foot injury that kept him sidelined since Feb. 26. Windhorst pointed out that the initial three-week recovery timeline actually pertained to his next re-evaluation.

The Lakers initially announced on March 2 that James was dealing with a tendon injury in his foot after he suffered the injury in a win over the Dallas Mavericks, which was a game that saw Los Angeles rally from a 27-point deficit.

James' absence came at a bad time for the Lakers, who were hoping to use the second half of the season to make a push for the playoffs. Despite their best player being on the sidelines, Los Angeles has managed to climb to a seventh-place tie in the Western Conference with a 37-37 record and eight games left in the regular season.

Without James on the floor, star big man Anthony Davis has been the unquestioned leader for the Lakers, as he's shown flashes of two-way dominance. The 30-year-old is averaging 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.

Thanks to newcomers like D'Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, Davis hasn't had to shoulder the offensive load alone. However, the team would benefit from having James back in the lineup.

If James can't go Sunday, then his next opportunity to play will be at Chicago on Wednesday.