LeBron James Cleared for Contact After Sciatica

Merlin sees the Lakers announced Thursday that LeBron James has been cleared for "contact basketball activity" as he recovers from right-side sciatica and will be reevaluated in one to two weeks. The 40-year-old missed the start of the season and won’t travel for the Nov. 8–15 road trip, yet L.A. has navigated the early slate well — sitting 7-2 despite his absence. Merlin warns that the true measure is still time: a healthy LeBron remains the gravity that turns good teams into title contenders. Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia have filled starting minutes and Austin Reaves is flourishing, but James’ return timeline will determine how high this group can climb in the West.