Lakers Superstar LeBron James wasn’t with the team this week for personal reasons, but will miss Friday’s competition in Minnesota due to soreness in his left foot. That’s the same problem that caused him to miss Sunday’s win over Portland, writes Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

“We need to be aware that as we play more and more games, it’s just the cumulative effect that comes from playing a lot of minutes“, head coach JJ Redick said after practice on Wednesday. “And on Sunday, as he struggled with the foot problem, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.”

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin, who first reported that James was unlikely to play on Friday, the 39-year-old did not travel to Minnesota with the Lakers.

James would have eight days off if he returns for Sunday’s matchup against Memphis. And he would have almost two full weeks off if he sits out this game and returns to Sacramento next Thursday, Woike notes.

Here’s more about the Lakers:

• Austin Reaveswho has missed the last five games with a left pelvic contusion is officially questionable for Friday’s game, but he appears to be on track to return, according to Woike. As we previously reported, the fourth-year guard completed nearly all of Wednesday’s practice.
• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times argues that the Lakers’ season is already a lost cause and the only sensible way to move forward is to trade James and James Anthony Davisalthough he acknowledged that both players would have to push for these moves to happen.
• In a column for RG.org, Mark Medina explains why he believes the Lakers’ weaknesses aren’t easy to fix, writing that the front office’s continuity plan hasn’t resulted in consistency on the court. In addition to a flawed roster and injuries to role players, Medina says Los Angeles simply doesn’t have enough resources to make meaningful upgrades via the trade market.