Bronny James assigned to G League as Lakers implement developmental strategy

Charania added, "For now ... the G League plan is for Bronny James to play in South Bay home games — as he shuttles between both leagues."

It's difficult to see the benefit for James in the Lakers' decision to bounce him between the NBA and G League.

He's only averaged 3.3 minutes per game in four NBA appearances, playing primarily at point guard. James also only played 19.3 minutes per game last year as a freshman at USC.

He should play more in the G League, which could be better for his development than riding the bench in the pros.

The Lakers drafted James, son of Lakers forward and NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James, in the second round (No. 55 overall) of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Charania and ESPN's Dave McMenamin initially reported on Oct. 25 that the Lakers planned to move James between the NBA and G League.

They shared that before a game against the Phoenix Suns, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said, "The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since Day 1."

Charania and McMenamin also pointed to a July quote from Redick about his experimental approach to player development: "We view Bronny as like, case study one, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there's a lot to like about his game."

Bronny will have the opportunity to demonstrate his all-around game when he finally plays meaningful minutes during his G League debut.