LeBron James’ availability for upcoming games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets has been clarified following his groin injury.

The highly anticipated on-court pairing of Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic will have to wait, as James is expected to be sidelined for at least a week, possibly longer. The Lakers have opted to send him back to Los Angeles for medical treatment, officially ruling him out for the rest of their road trip.

“LeBron James has returned to Los Angeles for further evaluation and treatment of his groin strain, per medical advice. He is making good progress, but with the Lakers finishing their road trip in Milwaukee on Thursday and Denver on Friday, he will not be available,” an ESPN analyst reported on X (formerly Twitter).

James’ injury could keep him out for up to two weeks, forcing him to miss key matchups against the Bucks and Nuggets—both formidable playoff contenders.

The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics, where James left late and did not return, contributing to the Lakers’ loss at TD Garden. He also missed the following game against the struggling Brooklyn Nets, where the Lakers suffered a narrow defeat, extending their losing streak to two games. Before James’ injury and the Boston loss, Los Angeles had been riding an impressive eight-game winning streak after acquiring Luka Doncic.