LeBron James Ruled Out for Bucks Game With Back Management

Update: LeBron James ruled out against the Bucks

Updated 17:28 UTC, Oct. 24, 2026. The Philadelphia 76ers ruled LeBron James out for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, downgrading him from questionable with low back and sciatica management, Bleacher Report and theScore reported. Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice was first with the change at 1 p.m. ET, according to the Saturday injury report roundup at WhyNBA. It is James's first missed game of the 2026-27 season, ClutchPoints reported. Saturday's game is the first of a back-to-back for Philadelphia, and James's next chance to play is Sunday against Detroit, theScore reported. Dean Wade remains questionable with a left ankle sprain.

The Philadelphia 76ers listed LeBron James as questionable for Saturday's home game against the Milwaukee Bucks on the team injury report released Friday evening, October 23, 2026. The official designation was low back and sciatica management. The listing is a workload decision, not a ruling that James will miss the game, and the team gave no diagnosis of time out beyond the weekend.

A managed weekend

The Bucks game opens Philadelphia's first back-to-back of the season. The 76ers host Milwaukee on Saturday, October 24, 2026, then host the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, October 25, 2026. James spoke about the two games in plain terms. "There's been conversations. We'll manage it properly to see what the weekend looks like," he said. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the 76ers plan to be careful with the workload of the 41-year-old James during the regular season, with the playoffs in mind. James is playing his 24th NBA season and his first with the 76ers, and he turns 42 later this season.

Form through two games

James scored 17 points on Thursday, October 22, 2026, in Philadelphia's comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through two games this season he is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and six assists. If James sits out on Saturday, RotoWire reported that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the most likely candidate to step into the starting lineup.

Embiid faces the same choice

Joel Embiid was absent from the injury report as of Friday night, but his weekend still carries a question. Embiid said late Thursday that he expects to sit out one of the two weekend games. After Thursday's win over Cleveland, he said: "I'm not playing both games. I'm playing one of them. I don't know. They're going to tell me. But I feel good. Whatever they tell me, I'll do it." Embiid played 34 minutes against Cleveland on Thursday and scored 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting, with seven rebounds. Philadelphia has announced no final lineup for either weekend game.

The rest of the report

Dean Wade is also questionable for Saturday, with a left ankle sprain. Three players are out. Dominick Barlow is out with a lower back stress reaction, Tacko Fall is out with a left quadriceps strain, and Ariel Hukporti is out with a right Achilles tendon tear.

What happens next

Tip-off against Milwaukee is at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. A final decision on James is expected in the 24 hours before the game. Until the team updates the report, his status stays where Friday left it: questionable, managed, and undecided.