The Los Angeles Lakers are finally getting good news on LeBron James’ recovery.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 40-year-old Lakers superstar has been cleared for contact basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. The next phase, Charania added, is for James to “ramp up to 5-on-5 action” as he continues progressing from right sciatica that sidelined him since training camp.
“LeBron James has been working out individually,” Charania reported Wednesday on NBA Countdown. “I’m told that the next step for him is 5-on-5 live play. He will not be traveling on the upcoming five-game week-long road trip that starts in Atlanta this weekend.”
The Lakers’ road trip includes stops in Atlanta, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Milwaukee before returning to host the Utah Jazz on November 18 — a date many within the organization believe could mark James’ long-awaited season debut.
Possible Target: Nov. 18 vs. Utah Jazz
While the team has avoided setting a firm timetable, Charania said Lakers personnel believe mid-November is the likely window for James’ return.
“I was told today that Lakers personnel are still operating under the belief that LeBron James’ debut will be around mid-November,” Charania said. “He turns 41 next month, he’s in his 23rd record NBA season — and that’s why Rob Pelinka’s offseason signings of Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton, and Marcus Smart have been so important, paying dividends with the depth without one of the best players of all time.”
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After the home date with Utah, the Lakers are scheduled to visit Salt Lake City again on Nov. 23, followed by a four-game homestand that could allow James to steadily reintegrate into the rotation.
JJ Redick: ‘We’re Hopeful for Mid-Month’
Head coach JJ Redick echoed the cautious optimism last week, saying the team wants to ensure James passes every checkpoint in his return-to-play protocol.
“Obviously, this thing has to continue to progress with all of his return-to-play protocols,” Redick said. “So we don’t have, like, a target date. It’s just somewhere in that general timeline. We hope that he’s checked all the boxes and is going to be back sometime in that second or third week in November.”
Despite James’ absence, the Lakers have thrived early. Los Angeles sits at 7-2 and second in the Western Conference, thanks largely to Luka Dončić’s MVP-caliber start to the season.
Luka Doncic Carrying the Load in LeBron’s Absence
Dončić, 26, continues to power the Lakers’ offense in LeBron’s stead, putting up another monster performance Wednesday in a 118-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Slovenian superstar recorded 35 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds, and five steals, becoming the first Laker since 1973-74 — when steals were first officially tracked — to log at least 35 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals in a regular season game.
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Through his first five games with the Lakers, Dončić has amassed 200 points, 55 rebounds, 46 assists, 10 steals, and three blocks, while maintaining a plus/minus of +26. According to Real Sports App, he’s the first player in league history to average 40 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to start a season.
Historic Numbers Place Doncic Among NBA Greats
According to OPTAStats, Dončić is also the first player in NBA history to score or assist on over 310 points through the first five games of a season.
What makes his run even more remarkable is its consistency: NBA.com/Stats reports that only 12 instances in league history feature players averaging at least 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists over a five-game span — and Dončić owns seven of them.
This is, however, the first time he’s reached those marks to start a season, making his Lakers debut campaign one for the record books.
Lakers Stay Competitive Without Their Superstar
Even as James remains sidelined, the Lakers’ strong start underscores the balance and roster depth built around Dončić, Austin Reaves, Ayton, and Smart. With LeBron’s return on the horizon and Dončić already rewriting the record books, Los Angeles appears poised for a potential championship push.
If all goes according to plan, the NBA world could see LeBron James’ 2025-26 season debut at home on Nov. 18 — a night that could mark the start of a new chapter in the Lakers’ bid for Western Conference supremacy.
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