LeBron James' status for meeting with Phoenix Suns revealed

The Phoenix Suns begin their five-game preseason run of games Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, and already it has been confirmed that one of their key players will miss the game through injury. Center Jusuf Nurkic sitting this one out with a finger injury, with a re-evaluation for him set to take place in a week.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer doesn't need Nurkic for this run out - although it certainly would have been nice to see his starting group get some reps together - and rookie Oso Ighodaro may profit from this. The bouncy big man coming off a solid Summer League display, with his teammates in Phoenix liking what they've seen from him so far in training camp as well.

But will LeBron James suit up versus the Suns?

James was absent from his team's opening game vs the Minnesota Timberwolves - an opponent the Suns know all too well - with his son Bronny taking the headlines instead. His limited offensive game on full display, although he did have a couple of decent blocks over the course of the contest.

So far then father and son have not taken to the court together, but that could change against the Suns. Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reporting that James senior is "looking to play" when the Suns come to town. This was later confirmed by Lakers' head coach JJ Redick when speaking to media ahead of the contest.

Assuming that does happen, then this would mean James and Bronny could take to the court together for the first time ever versus the Suns. Although not a competitive game, that is still a piece of trivia that is sure to come up in future. Once the regular season does begin, the Suns will also become the first side to face the L.A. Clippers in their new arena, The Intuit Dome.

The Suns being linked with both Los Angeles teams in the early goings of the 2024-25 season, although it does not stop there. James Jr. you might remember was linked with the Suns prior to being selected by the Lakers, and they were the only other franchise that ever saw their name seriously associated with him.

This was long been thought of as a ploy to force the Lakers' hand into drafting him - which they eventually did in the second round - with the possibility of LeBron moving to Arizona to team up with his son floated out there in order to make it happen. Which could see Bronny do his best to show the Suns what they're missing.

Really though the fact LeBron is going to play is exactly what the Suns will want to hear. They'll want to face off against one of the best to ever do it - preseason or not - and any chance they can to get a win over the Lakers is one worth taking. If they're at full strength then all the better, and this looks to be the first time this season that James is going to suit up for his team.