The Los Angeles Lakers sent Bronny James to the G League for the Coachella Valley Lakers’ season opener, and while it was just for one game, the young guard continues to look like the type of player who fits better in the developmental league than in the NBA ranks.
James has played in just five games for the Lakers so far this season, putting up four points in 12 total minutes. He was only demoted to the G League for one game, but after another DNP in Los Angeles’ win without Luka Doncic over the Detroit Pistons, the 22-year-old looks like someone who could spend more time in Coachella Valley.
Along with head coach JJ Redick’s recent comments about James in the G League, the Lakers were recently urged to continue playing the young guard in the developmental ranks, which, along with his already uncertain future in Los Angeles, doesn’t bode well for LeBron James‘ son’s NBA career.
Bronny James Dealt Bad News After G League Stint
While James had a strong 22-point, seven-assist, five-rebound outing in the G League last Friday night, Redick’s comments on the reason why he was briefly demoted say a lot about where he stands on the Lakers’ roster and rotation on a nightly basis.
“I mean, both him and Cam [Carr] will be with us on the trip. The messaging was very simple: You guys need reps and you guys need to play,” he told reporters. “Bronny’s done this enough between being with us and being with South Bay the last two years and now Coachella, so he knows what’s expected of him there.”
“The messaging was very simple. It’s just: you guys need reps and you guys need to play.”
Redick was also blunt about James’ poor preseason showing for the Lakers, telling the media that he hadn’t played well. A coach being somewhat critical of his young players isn’t that surprising, but for someone like James fighting for his spot in the rotation, it wasn’t a positive sign after his continued struggles in the league so far.
If that wasn’t a sign to James that he isn’t ready for consistent minutes in the NBA, it’s hard to tell what is. He has only cracked the rotation this year when the Lakers’ games are already decided, and has been playing even less so far than in his first two seasons in the league up to this point in the year.
As Maxwell Ogden of LakeShowLife recently discussed, perhaps keeping James in the G League would be the best move for the Lakers.
“In the G League, James receives chances to run the offense and flex his skills as a point guard. In the process, he learns in real time what areas of his game need polish and what he may need to rely on less as it becomes clear that perceived strengths aren’t at the level they should be,” he added. “By consistently playing in the G League, James can begin to develop a style of play that actually suits the Lakers by receiving enough minutes to actually gain tangible knowledge of how he can help.”
In all likelihood, James would prefer playing in the NBA over the G League. However, he still hasn’t proven to Redick and the Lakers’ top decision-makers that he’s worthy of playing on a nightly basis. He continues to show out in the developmental league, but hasn’t been the type of backcourt contributor Los Angeles has needed so far this year.
There’s already been buzz about James being a potential candidate the Lakers could waive or trade to add talent, and as his DNPs continue, it continues to not look good for the 22-year-old still looking to carve out his role as an NBA player.
Lakers Young Guard Fighting To Continue NBA Career
Even before the season, after James made the Lakers’ opening-day roster over Dalton Knecht, there were questions about what he would offer to the team.
“The reality is that James is unlikely to see significant minutes. Dončić, Reaves, Grimes and Sexton can all handle playmaking duties, and mixing and matching the team’s various wing options will likely be a bigger priority than getting James much work in the rotation,” Timothy Rapp wrote.
“While James making the roster over Knecht may feel like a vote of confidence from head coach JJ Redick and the front office, it’s just as likely that the Lakers felt Knecht was no longer a fit and needed a change of scenery.”
Additionally, top Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has been skeptical about James’ roster spot as it relates to him staying with the team throughout the entire season. Along with mentioning him as a trade candidate for Los Angeles to add a backup center, Buha believes James could be waived, should Los Angeles find a roster upgrade in the free agency or buyout market.
“So Bronny is the one who’s only making a couple million that they could potentially waive,” he said on his show, Buha’s Block. “They’re in a situation where, at a minimum, I think you gotta change the two-way spots and bring in a big who can play, but potentially you do that with the back end of the roster.”
The buzz about his uncertain roster spot with the Lakers has followed James for the past few months, and while he did play well in the G League, his continued lack of minutes and rumors about his future don’t bode well for the young guard.
James has been on the chopping block for Los Angeles for a bit now, and even if they keep him around, the 22-year-old shouldn’t feel safe, especially as it looks like the Lakers are eyeing a backup center trade, which could include him as an asset to upgrade the roster.
Lakers Bronny James Dealt Unfornate News After G League Demotion