NBA Rumors: Lakers 'Hopeful' Anthony Davis Returns from Foot Injury vs. 76ers

Anthony Davis is reportedly nearing a return to the court.

ESPN's Shams Charania revealed on Thursday that the Los Angeles Lakers are "hopeful" that the star power forward will be able to suit up during a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

The Lakers officially labeled Davis as probable for the game, with the injury now diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Davis missed the Lakers' 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday due to a heel injury. Charania noted that the issue also affected him during the end of the 2023-24 season.

He aggravated the injury in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles' 115-103 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons on Monday and was listed as questionable prior to the battle with the Grizzlies before he was eventually ruled out.

"I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor," Davis explained after the loss to Detroit, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out."

His eventual presence should provide a boost to a Lakers team that has struggled since opening the regular season with a 3-0 record. Los Angeles wasn't able to maintain its hot start during a recent five-game road trip, losing four of the contests to drop to 4-4 on the season as a whole.

Davis thrived as the focal point of the Lakers' offense to open the year, averaging a league-leading 32.6 points per game. He also recorded 11.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists to go along with 1.7 blocks per game.

Given his two-way impact to go along with his scoring output, it's no surprise that he's been crucial to Los Angeles' success to open the year. He's averaged 35.0 points per game on a 69.6 true shooting percentage in wins this season compared to 29.3 points per game with a true shooting percentage of 57.7 percent in losses (via Basketball Reference).

While his return on Friday isn't a certainty, it's an encouraging sign that the Lakers are optimistic regarding his playing status heading into the clash with the 76ers.

Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET on Friday.