TL;DR
- LeBron James assigned to South Bay Lakers for practice, indicating imminent return.
- James has missed all preseason and regular-season games due to sciatica.
- His return is projected for mid-November, despite team's effective adaptation.
- Impact of James's return on Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić's play is uncertain.
The Los Angeles Lakers have experienced a thrilling beginning to their season even with a significantly reduced roster. Following Austin Reaves' recent absences and Luka Dončić's temporary unavailability due to injury, the team has had to adapt quickly. Fortunately, they've managed to do so effectively.
Despite numerous injuries, one has consistently impacted the organization throughout the entire season: the right sciatica injury, which LeBron James suffered during the offseason.
James hasn't participated in any of the team's regular-season contests, having sat out all preseason matchups. Although his absence hasn't harmed their performance, having the NBA's top scorer in uniform is clearly an advantage.
Shams Charania offered some insight today regarding LeBron James potentially preparing for an imminent return.
LeBron James will start working with The Lakers' G-League affiliate.
Charania of ESPN reported via tweet that LeBron has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers' G-League team, for practice sessions.
LeBron James of the Lakers was assigned to the team's NBA G League affiliate, South Bay, today and will take part in his first complete practice of the season, featuring 5-on-5 action, as he prepares for his debut.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 12, 2025
The notion of the Lakers' G-League team trying to contain a hobbled, 40-year-old LeBron James is amusing, but this development is significant.
This development indicates that the initial projection of a mid-November comeback is on schedule. The ultimate effect of his return on the Purple and Gold remains to be seen.
One would think that getting back a player who has consistently averaged 25-7.5-7.5 could be nothing but a good thing. When you look at the Lakers this season, however, you’re not so sure that his play style won’t take away from others.
This season, Austin Reaves has been outstanding alongside Luka Dončić, and their on-court connection is exceptional. Considering LeBron James's significant involvement, how does this impact the performance of a player such as Reaves?
We’ll find out soon enough, as it looks like LeBron is definitely on his way back to action.