LeBron James' long-await return to the Los Angeles Lakers is imminent. James has reportedly been reassigned to the Lakers from the team's G League affiliate amid his ramp-up, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

James has missed the first month of the season due to sciatica, a nerve pain that runs down the sciatic nerve from the lower back down the leg. James was diagnosed with the condition during the preseason, and was cleared to return to basketball activities in early November.

James is set to be a full participant in the Lakers' practice on Monday, per Charania. James has been ramping back up to full strength with multiple days of practices and 5-on-5 sessions this week.

The exact date of James' return isn't exactly clear. The Lakers have only two games this week, hosting the Utah Jazz on Tuesday before traveling to play the Jazz away on Sunday.

Much of James' time with the Lakers has been plagued by injuries: The veteran forward has yet to play a full NBA season during his eight seasons with Los Angeles, missing more than 150 games for the Lakers in that span. But the last two seasons have been better for James, who missed 11 and 12 games in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, respectively.

Even as the oldest active player in the league, James was one of the best players in the NBA last season. He averaged nearly a triple-double, with 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game as the Lakers won 50 games and finished third in the West.

Now, James returns to a Lakers team that has built a solid 10-4 start, despite dealing with a number of injuries. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have both missed games, with other players filling in for the injured stars.

The Lakers have been so depleted that James' son Bronny got his second career start on Saturday, though he didn't score.