James sidelined for opener?

Following Cleveland’s final practice before a season opener against Boston with playofflevel hype, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue still wasn’t sure whether LeBron James will play Tuesday. J.R. Smith knows. “Oh, he’s gonna go,” Smith said of his celebrated teammate. “He’s gonna go, trust me that. I don’t care what he’s gotta do, he’s gonna play.”

Though Smith might be giving James the green light, Lue and other team officials remained unsure of James’ status for the game against the Celtics and former Cavs guard Kyrie Irving, whose ballyhooed return to Cleveland is expected to be part homecoming, part hatefest.

James didn’t speak to reporters after Monday’s practice, but the three-time champion was in a playful mood while engaging in a competitive outside-shooting contest with teammates Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Jeff Green.

James has been slowed by a sprained left ankle suffered in practice Sept. 27. He played in only one of Cleveland’s five exhibition games, and his absence has kept a starting lineup that now includes Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose from getting much floor time together.

James, 32, hasn’t missed an opener in his previous 14 seasons, and it would be hard to imagine him sitting out this one, given the attention with Irving coming back following this summer’s trade between the teams — and the All-Star guard’s recent swipe at Cleveland.

Just so he’s protected, Lue has made a contingency lineup in case James doesn’t play. Smith would take his spot in the Cavs’ starting five. Extension for Aldridge: The Spurs reached agreement with forward LaMarcus Aldridge on an extension that will keep him under contract for an additional three seasons.

A person with knowledge of the agreement said Aldridge will exercise the $22 million player option on his contract for the 2018-19 season. He will get two more seasons and $50 million added.

The agreement came as a surprise, given Aldridge’s difficulty acclimating to the Spurs since he left Portland in 2015. Aldridge averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds a game last season. Discipline for Schroder: The Hawks say point guard Dennis Schroder is facing undisclosed discipline for his role in a Sept. 29 fight outside a late-night restaurant that led to his arrest last month on misdemeanor battery charges.

Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk said preliminary findings show Schroder was involved in an “unacceptable” physical altercation that “will not be tolerated by the Hawks’ organization.” He said Schroder faces discipline “at the appropriate time once the matter has been more fully developed through the law-enforcement process and otherwise.”