Much has been made over the status of Lakers rookie Bronny James and how much time he’ll spend with the team this season. Now, there is a timeline of how the no. 55 pick and son of LeBron James will develop in his rookie campaign.
Lakers Make Key Decision on Bronny James
Bronny Heading to the G League
ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin reported that the younger James will head to the G League, following LA’s five-game road trip, which concludes in early November—just in time for the G League’s season opener. Charania and McMenamin wrote that James Jr. will “begin shuttling between the active roster and the franchise’s South Bay G League affiliate, sources told ESPN on Friday.”
The decision was announced days after history was made, as LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to ever appear in an NBA game—and only the fifth in sports history.
Looking at the Lakers’ schedule, Bronny’s assignment will come after the team’s road trip finale game against the Grizzlies and a week after a homecoming game of sorts against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His first opportunity to play for South Bay will be on Nov. 9 against the Salt Lake City Stars at the Lakers’ training facility in El Segundo.
Bronny, Redick and LeBron On the Same Page
The move should come as no surprise for anyone following the journey of the 20-year-old rookie, who has become arguably the most popular second-round pick in this year’s draft. Bronny was previously receptive toward the possibility of playing in the G League, embracing any opportunity for growth that comes his way. At media day, he told ESPN Los Angeles:
“I know that I’m not going to be thrown into the rotation immediately. So, I’ve accepted that role and I’m coming in and getting better every day and learning from the vets and people that are going to be receiving heavy minutes. I have no problem sitting back and learning these first couple years and then building up from there.”
Head coach JJ Redick’s philosophy includes a heavy emphasis on player development. He noted how important South Bay will be in every young Laker’s growth, calling the work between both ball clubs a “model of integration” between the NBA and its developmental league.
“We hired Zach Guthrie as our G League head coach. All we’ve talked about in the interview process with him and since he’s been on board is just creating synergy and integration. The G League is not a demotion by any stretch. We are in the same building. We should be the model for integration between the NBA team and the G League team. I look at Zach as an extension of my staff. I look at that team as an extension of our team. I would expect us to use the G League for very specific reasons.”
LeBron has also been on board about the team’s plans to develop Bronny with the South Bay Lakers, telling ESPN:
“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. And if we all do that, we all get better, because we’re all one team. We’re a reflection of South Bay; South Bay is a reflection of us.”
Lakers Following a Successful Path
With the Lakers electing to send Bronny down to the G League, they are hoping to follow a formula that has worked well for them in the past. Most of their young players thrived with South Bay before making a tangible impact in LA’s rotation. The best example is ex-Lakers guard Alex Caruso, who went from a two-way contract to a guaranteed roster spot over the course of the 2017-18 season.
The Lakers also made this decision after mixed reactions surrounding Bronny’s development, with some encouraging them to send him to the G League while others cautioned against it. With James Jr. not expected to enter Redick’s rotation anytime soon, allowing him to get more reps in the G League is a very wise move that could pay off down the line.
