At age 39, LeBron James will need to conserve his energy during the long NBA season to have the best chance of continuing to perform at a high level. For some, that might mean occasionally missing a game to get some rest.

His preservation is especially important considering he competed in the Olympics a few months ago, meaning he didn't have a full summer to rest and recover from last season.

James did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers' first preseason game on Oct. 4 and was sidelined again Thursday night when they faced the Phoenix Suns. TNT's Jared Greenberg reported that James will not play in LA's final preseason game on Friday, which will be against the Golden State Warriors.

Some may feel that the four-time MVP appears to be taking a casual approach to the exhibition schedule. But a little more rest could do him a lot of good, especially given the demanding schedule Los Angeles faces early in the regular season.

It hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday before playing the Suns again on October 25th and 28th. In between those contests against Phoenix is ​​one against the Sacramento Kings on October 27th.

The second game against Phoenix will be the start of a five-game road trip for the Lakers, which also includes matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James will reportedly miss the Lakers' final preseason game