{"id":456345,"date":"2026-02-13T02:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T02:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/456345\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T02:19:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T02:19:12","slug":"is-lebron-james-playing-tonight-vs-the-dallas-mavericks-latest-update-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-stars-injury-report-february-12-2026-nba-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/456345\/","title":{"rendered":"Is LeBron James playing tonight vs the Dallas Mavericks? Latest update on the Los Angeles Lakers star’s injury report (February 12, 2026) | NBA News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IsLos Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (Image via Getty Images) LeBron James is expected to return to the lineup when the Los Angeles Lakers face the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The veteran forward missed the team\u2019s last game but is no longer listed on the injury report, indicating he is available to play.The 41-year-old had been dealing with arthritis in his left foot. His absence earlier this week appeared to be a rest decision rather than a serious setback, and the latest update suggests the condition is being managed.<\/p>\n

What Led to LeBron Missing the Previous Game?<\/p>\n

LeBron James did not play in Tuesday\u2019s 136-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers were on the second night of a back-to-back and chose to sit him as a precaution.Following the game, the team removed him from the injury report. Unless something changes before tip-off, he is likely to return to his normal workload, which typically falls in the 30-35 minute range.<\/p>\n

Projected Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup (February 12, 2026)<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to start Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton. Much of the offense runs through James, especially in late-game situations where his decision-making becomes central.James has played 35 games this season and is averaging about 21 points, 6 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. His presence usually brings structure to the offense, particularly in half-court possessions.<\/p>\n

Current Los Angeles Lakers Roster Snapshot (2025-26)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Guards: Marcus Smart, Austin Reaves, Luke Kennard, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr., Chris Manon, Kobe Bufkin \u2022 Forwards: LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, Drew Timme, Adou Thiero \u2022 Centers: Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes \u2022 Head Coach: JJ RedickThe roster has changed during the season and is now built around a core of LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Ayton, with players such as Smart, Reaves, and Hachimura filling key supporting roles.<\/p>\n

Mavericks Dealing With Key Absences<\/p>\n

Dallas will be without Luka Doncic, who is expected to miss his fourth straight game because of a hamstring strain. Kyrie Irving also remains out after knee surgery.The projected starting lineup includes Max Christie, Tyus Jones, Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford. Without their top scorers, the Mavericks may rely more on defense and balanced scoring.<\/p>\n

Why LeBron\u2019s Return Is Important<\/p>\n

With Doncic unavailable, the Lakers can focus more defensive attention on Washington and Gafford inside. On offense, James is expected to handle much of the playmaking, including pick-and-roll actions and early offense.Los Angeles leads the season series 2-0, winning 129-119 on November 28, 2025, and 116-110 on January 24, 2026. A win tonight would complete a sweep before the teams meet again in April.Also read: Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight vs the Los Angeles Lakers? Latest update on the Los Angeles Lakers star’s injury report (February 12, 2026)<\/a>LeBron James is expected to play against the Mavericks after missing one game to manage his foot issue. His return gives the Lakers their primary playmaker back as they try to build momentum heading into the All-Star break.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James (Image via Getty Images) LeBron James is expected to return to the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5117],"tags":[196,44509,147,5278,5,55403,55402,55405,55404,4,197],"class_list":{"0":"post-456345","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas-stars","8":"tag-dallas","9":"tag-dallas-mavericks-injury-report","10":"tag-dallas-stars","11":"tag-dallasstars","12":"tag-hockey","13":"tag-lakers-mavericks-game-february-12-2026","14":"tag-lebron-james-injury-update","15":"tag-lebron-james-stats-2026","16":"tag-los-angeles-lakers-starting-lineup","17":"tag-nhl","18":"tag-stars"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116060931804884140","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}