The Los Angeles Lakers were in the midst of their best stretch of the season, riding an eight-game winning streak, before LeBron James suffered a groin injury during a March 8 loss to the Boston Celtics. Prior to the setback, LA had surged into the second seed in the Western Conference and was widely considered a top contender to emerge from the West.

James was later diagnosed with a groin strain and was expected to miss up to two weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. In his absence, the Lakers struggled, going winless in four consecutive road games and sliding to the fifth seed.

While Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have helped steady the ship with back-to-back victories, keeping LA just one game behind the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets for the second seed, the team has clearly missed its leader.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23).

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

James was sent home early during the Lakers’ road trip to focus on his recovery, and head coach JJ Redick has now confirmed that both James and starting power forward Rui Hachimura are considered day-to-day (via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). However, Redick also revealed that the team’s demanding schedule may prevent both players from participating in full practices or “stay-ready” scrimmages before making their return.

“Very unlikely that there’s stay-ready games for Rui and LeBron,” Redick said before Monday’s win over the San Antonio Spurs. “I’d have to look at the next three weeks, but very unlikely they practice. I think there’s a practice in April. That’s just the reality of playing every other day. Even if we do something on the court, there’s not gonna be any live contact in between game days.”

This is an unfortunate update, as practice time for players returning from injuries is often deemed a prerequisite before the can play in games. Unfortunately for the Lakers, their current schedule does not allow that for James and Hachimura.

Despite the challenges, Redick assured reporters that the Lakers’ medical staff, led by Leroy Sims, will work closely with James’ longtime trainer Mike Mancias to ensure both players return safely and at full strength.

With LA pushing for a high playoff seed, the team will be hoping to get James and Hachimura back in time for the final stretch of the regular season.