NBA Notes: Bulls, Coby White, Lakers, LeBron James, KJ Martin

Bulls

Coby White will make his season debut Sunday in Utah, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Bulls later confirmed he’ll play, as relayed by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.

“I’m excited to get back and play the game I love,” White said.

White strained his right calf in mid-August and suffered a setback during the preseason. He’s been ramping up ever since.

The Bulls are 6-5 without him, though they’ve lost five of six after a 5-0 start. Josh Giddey has missed several of those games as well.

Lakers

As we relayed earlier on Hoops Wire, LeBron James has been recalled from his G League assignment with South Bay and will be a full participant in Monday’s practice, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has done at least two practices with the affiliate, including five-on-five contact work, and reportedly came out of it feeling good.

This will be his first practice with the Lakers in 2025-26, noted The Athletic’s Dan Woike. James has missed all of training camp, the preseason and the first 14 games due to a nerve issue, or sciatica on his right side.

Charania previously reported he was targeting mid-November, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote that Tuesday vs. Utah is a real possibility.

Whenever he suits up, James will set a record by playing his 23rd NBA season.

For the record, the Lakers are 10-4 without him. James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds last year but could see his All-NBA streak end due to the league’s 65-game rule.

He opted into his $52.6 million player option this summer and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

International

Free agent forward KJ Martin is heading overseas. He plans to sign with the Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Martin, 24, was the 52nd pick in the 2020 draft and spent the past five seasons in the NBA before being released by the Jazz in September.

He’s appeared in 309 career games and holds averages of 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds on 54.5 percent shooting.

He spent his first three years in Houston, then moved to the Clippers, Sixers and Jazz in short stints while battling injuries. Known for his energy and athleticism, Martin couldn’t land another NBA deal this fall.

This will be his first overseas stop, and it comes with the son of former All-Star Kenyon Martin looking to reboot his career.