Report: LeBron James ‘probably can’t’ get ankle healthy until offseason, will have to play with discomfort in playoffs

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James probably will not be healthy until the offseason as he deals with an ankle injury he suffered against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“I think he’s going to try to play again in the regular season,” Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “It may be later next week. He’s got a tremendous threshold for pain. He’s shown that in his career and certainly a determination to play. But that ankle does need rest right now.

“He probably can’t get [the ankle] fully healthy until the offseason. He’s going to have to play with discomfort in the playoffs. So we’ll see as we get into next week and get closer to the final games of the regular season whether LeBron wants to push it or continue to try to give it some time and try to get back as close as he can to 100 percent.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to be fully 100 percent for the rest of the season.”

James is already expected to miss the Lakers’ games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers this week.

If he misses more the regular season games remaining, it is possible that the Lakers slip out of the No. 6 seed and into one of the spots that will participate in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament this postseason.

The Lakers certainly want to avoid having to play an extra game to solidify their playoff status, but the team’s best chance at winning a title comes with James at as close to 100 percent as possible.