NBA Notes: Lakers, LeBron James, Warriors, Pat Spencer, Malik Beasley

Lakers

LeBron James has nearly reached the maximum number of games he can miss while still qualifying for postseason awards, but Lakers coach JJ Redick said that won’t influence when the star forward returns, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register reported.

James sat out Friday’s loss in Boston and is listed as questionable for Sunday in Philadelphia with right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis. He has already missed 16 games and can only miss one more under the league’s 65-game rule.

“LeBron and I talk very regularly,” Redick said. “It’s never come up as something that’s important. The biggest thing was getting him healthy, then re-acclimating him. Awards are great, but it’s so far down the list.”

James, who turns 41 later this month, didn’t debut until November 18 and has appeared in six games. He is averaging 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists on .413 shooting. 

Warriors

With the Warriors shorthanded in Cleveland, Pat Spencer made his first NBA start and delivered the best performance of his career.

Spencer, on a two-way contract, finished with 19 points, seven assists and four rebounds in Golden State’s 99-94 win. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and hit three three-pointers, including 12 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland threatened to rally.

“We’ve seen the competitiveness,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s really improved his jump shot. Last year, he would turn down a lot of threes. Now he’s a threat out there. And his coach realizes that Pat is that motherf—er. That became clear.”

Spencer, a former college lacrosse star at Loyola Maryland, has carved out an unlikely NBA path. He joined Santa Cruz of the G League, earned a late-season promotion to Golden State’s standard roster, and returned this fall on another two-way deal.

He has been active for all 24 Warriors games and is trending toward a full promotion later in the season.

“It’s fun to watch a guy who has had to fight for everything finally get his moment,” Kerr said.

International

Free agent wing Malik Beasley is in advanced talks with Partizan Belgrade on a rest-of-season deal, Dusan Markovic of Nova.rs reported. The contract is expected to be worth about $2 million and would not include an NBA opt-out clause.

Beasley played all 82 games for the Pistons last season and averaged 16.3 points while shooting a career-best 41.3 percent from deep. Detroit had discussed a three-year, $42 million contract with the 29-year-old before news emerged in June that Beasley was under federal investigation for possible illegal betting activity.

He wasn’t named in the subsequent indictments involving Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups, but he has not been cleared by federal authorities or by the NBA, leaving him unsigned nearly halfway through the season.

European clubs and teams in China have expressed strong interest, and Detroit and Cleveland are among NBA teams monitoring the situation. Partizan competes in the EuroLeague and features former NBA players such as Shake Milton and Jabari Parker.