The Los Angeles Lakers made sure the historic pairing of LeBron and Bronny James happened quickly this season.
What the Lakers would do with Bronny after that was an open question, but there’s now some clarity on that front. And it’s something you rarely see with rookies in need of development.
The Lakers announced Thursday that Bronny was assigned to their G League affiliate, South Bay, where he is expected to make his debut in the developmental league Saturday against Salt Lake City, according to ESPN.
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LeBron James (23) and Bronny James (9) of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena Oct. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Harry How/Getty Images)
However, Bronny isn’t expected to remain in the G League for the rest of the campaign. ESPN added that the plan is for him to only play in the team’s home games.
Bronny will be shuttling between the NBA and G League as the team “manages his time on the respective rosters,” ESPN added.
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So, with the Lakers playing the Philadelphia 76ers at home Friday, James will be on the roster. Then, he will rejoin South Bay Saturday for his expected debut, a trend that is expected to continue for the time being.
ESPN reported at the beginning of the NBA regular season that the Lakers would have Bronny on the roster until Nov. 6, which would then spring the shuttle plan into action.
That’s always been the plan for Bronny since he was drafted.
“The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “[General manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (24) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland Oct. 30, 2024. (Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)
LeBron and Bronny made history in the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves when they became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together.
But Bronny’s father understands Bronny needs to develop if he wants to be an everyday player in the NBA.
“Just [looking forward to] seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, no matter if it’s here with us or if it’s down with the G League team, and him continuing to get better and better and better,” LeBron told ESPN about his son. “His job is to put the work in and get better and better, just like the rest of us. And we want to hold him accountable, and he’s going to hold us accountable.”
As a second-round pick, Bronny is expected to spend time in the G League because those choices are usually developmental guys who could contribute down the line for their respective franchises.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James looks to shoot during warmups against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. (Jonathan Hu/IImagn Images)
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But the Lakers clearly see a benefit to keeping Bronny alongside his father and the current Lakers roster when South Bay hits the road.
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