Bronny James is poised to begin splitting his time between the Los Angeles Lakers and their G League affiliate. The South Bay Lakers, after the team concludes its five-game road trip on November 6. This strategy is designed to help the young player develop while still contributing to the NBA squad.
Lakers coach JJ Reddick confirmed the plans on Friday, noting that they are subject to change based on real-time assessments. “Our plans are always fluid,” Reddick stated before the Lakers faced the Phoenix Suns. “I believe we have two guys dressing today that as of yesterday were not dressing out. The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one.”
Bronny, selected as the 55th overall pick in the June draft after a season at the University of Southern California, is expected to follow a path similar to many second-round picks, who typically spend a significant portion of their rookie seasons in the G League on two-way contracts. He logged three minutes in the Lakers’ recent 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves and averaged 4.2 points and 16.2 minutes of playtime over six preseason games.
The Lakers are scheduled to host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday before embarking on their road trip. With the second game set to take place in Cleveland on Wednesday.
LeBron James, Bronny’s father and an Akron native, expressed his expectation for his son to gain valuable experience through this dual approach during a media day event last month. “We want to hold him accountable,” he said. “He’s going to hold us accountable, and if we all do that, we’ll all get better. We are a reflection of the South Bay. The South Bay is a reflection of us.”
As Bronny prepares for this unique opportunity, both he and the Lakers are focused on his growth as a basketball player, aiming to make the most of every opportunity on and off the court.
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