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The Los Angeles Lakers will look to improve to a 3-1 record in the season as they get set to take on the Portland Trail Blazers for their fourth game on Monday. The Lakers will take on the Blazers in what will be the second night of a back-to-back after a thrilling 127-120 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. While the Lakers managed to come out on top in that matchup, the win didn’t come without a cost. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 21: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before a season opening game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) Los Angeles will be without not one, not two, not three, but seven players in their contest on Monday. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin shared the news via X. Add Marcus Smart to the injury list for the Lakers tonight. They will only have seven active players, plus their three two-way contracts available vs. POR. pic.twitter.com/LqdTuOPnl3— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 27, 2025 The Lakers will be without two of their top players in All-Stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic, along with four key contributors who are expected to play major roles throughout the season and beyond. More news: Pelicans Announce New Zion Williamson Injury 2 Games Into Regular Season Because that is the case, Lakers second-year guard Bronny James could get some run for Monday’s contest. James has played in only one regular season game so far. The 21-year-old James recently dealt with an ankle sprain that dates back to last week. He sat out the Lakers’ final two preseason games but hasn’t appeared on the injury report for any of the last three contests, including Monday’s matchup. There is a chance that James could get his first extended run of the season with the lack of depth the Lakers will possess tonight. When James has gotten some opportunity, he’s performed quite well. One of his best performances of his young career came on March 20, 2025 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Off the bench, James was incredible, recording a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, five assists, three rebounds and one block in 30 minutes of action. More news: 76ers Announce Paul George Injury News Ahead of Magic Game James is coming off a tough rookie season in LA. He was held to 27 games last season and started in one contest. While he was on the court, James averaged 2.3 points per game, 0.8 assists, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 steals while shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from deep in 6.7 minutes of action. The Lakers selected James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft with the No. 55 overall pick. James attended USC, where he was one-and-done. In his lone season at Southern California, James averaged 4.8 points per game, 2.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from deep in 19.3 minutes of action. For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
