Experts’ take: Will LeBron James’ injury cause a ripple effect at the NBA trade deadline?

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers were considered the favorite to win their second straight title. But how did that change when LeBron James sustained a high right ankle sprain in Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks?

James could miss up to a month. Will that cause the Lakers to be players at the trade deadline? And what will the ripple effect be for other would-be title contenders?

We take a look at those questions and more with a panel of NBA experts. USA Today's Matt Eppers moderated a roundtable with USA Today basketball writers Jeff Zillgitt and Mark Medina, J. Michael Falgoust of the Indianapolis Star, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.

Eppers: How does LeBron's injury affect the trade landscape? Do the Lakers feel more urgency to make a move? Do other contenders see their window potentially opening a little more?

Owczarski: In the East, the Bucks are not looking that far ahead that specifically. The stated goal from training camp is to win a championship, and Jrue Holiday doubled down on that with the Tucker trade. Tucker said he felt it could happen, also, which is why he eyed the Bucks as a potential landing spot. But for a team that has not reached the Finals since 1974, they aren't looking at who could be on the other bench in that round — it's about getting there.

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