The spotlight is on Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, who we now know will navigate between the active roster and the South Bay G League.
Coach JJ Redick hinted that “those plans could change.” LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to grace an NBA court together on Tuesday as the Lakers triumphed over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers celebrated another victory against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, with Bronny suiting up but not stepping onto the court during the 123-116 win at Crypto.com Arena.
“Our plans are always fluid based on real-time,” Redick explained before Friday’s game. “I believe we have two guys dressing today that, as of yesterday, we’re not dressing out. The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one. [General manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”
As the G League draft approaches this Saturday, Bronny’s development is a top priority, with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul advocating for a standard contract rather than a two-way deal. Father LeBron is also rooting for this.
“Just [looking forward to] seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player,” LeBron stated. “His job is to put the work in and get better and better, just like the rest of us.”
Bronny’s path reflects a common trajectory for second-round picks. As Pelinka and Redick focus on building synergy between the Lakers and South Bay, Bronny is poised to be the first case study of this exciting player-development program.
“For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one,” Redick emphasized.
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