Lakers rookie Bronny James has just begun the next phase of his basketball journey. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday, the young baller is set to make his G-League debut on Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars.
“The Lakers today assigned Bronny James to their NBA G League affiliate, South Bay, where he’s expected to debut vs. Salt Lake City on Saturday,” wrote Shams on X. “James will be on Lakers roster vs. 76ers Friday, then rejoin South Bay.”
Bronny, 19, made his NBA debut on opening night and fans everywhere celebrated his historic achievement alongside LeBron. Together, the two are set to play their first season as NBA teammates but it could be some time before we actually see them get any meaningful minutes together.
As the 55th overall pick, James Jr.’s development is still very much a work in progress and expectations have been kept low for him coming off a modest season at USC (4.8 points per game). Still, after the Lakers signed him to a four-year deal this summer, Bronny will have years to develop and grow his game to fit the NBA landscape.
At 6’2″, Bronny doesn’t have the same height advantage as his dad but after years of working with one of the best, he’s developed the natural skills and instincts to make the right play on the floor. He’s also developed an unmatched work ethic, which is what drove the Lakers to call his name with the 55th pick.
Sadly, with the Lakers fighting for a playoff spot, Bronny’s role in the rotation will be almost nonexistent until he proves that he can contribute to winning basketball. And with so many veterans on the team already, it remains to be seen how many opportunities he’ll have to crack the Lakers’ rotation.
In the G-League, however, Bronny can get the playtime he needs to learn from his mistakes and adjust to a higher level of the game. This season, the plan for James involves sending him back and forth between the main roster and the G-League so he can get the best of both worlds.
Depending on how quickly Bronny builds up his skills as a playmaker, ball handler, and scorer in the backcourt, head coach JJ Redick might give him some run time throughout the regular-season but the Lakers are in no hurry to rush the process.
They knew before the draft that adding Bronny would be a project lasting years but with their loyalty to LeBron stronger than ever, the Lakers were happy to make his dreams come true and unite him with his oldest son.
But if Bronny fails to become a rotation player, it will mean the team completely wasted their pick during a critical offseason. All they can do now is give Bronny the resources he needs to succeed and it seems they’re off to a solid start so far with their extensive development plan.
As for Bronny himself, he’s been nothing but professional through the entire process and he seems entirely committed to being the best player that he can be for this Lakers squad.
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