Bronny James
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Bronny James scored three points on Tuesday night.
Over the past few days, the Los Angeles Lakers have experienced a notable roster shuffle, driven by a mix of deliberate decisions and unavoidable circumstances.
At the trade deadline, Los Angeles added Luke Kennard to address its long-standing need for perimeter shooting.
With an open roster spot still available, the expectation was that the Lakers would turn to the buyout market, where names such as Lonzo Ball, Cam Thomas, and Haywood Highsmith were widely viewed as logical fits.
Instead, general manager Rob Pelinka took an unexpected route. Rather than chasing a veteran addition, the Lakers promoted from within, signing G League standout Kobe Bufkin to a two-year contract.
That move came amid further disruption.
Luka Doncic missed Saturday’s win over the Golden State Warriors and has since been ruled out for Monday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, adding to the sense that Los Angeles is actively recalibrating on the fly.
Lakers Continue Roster Movement
According to Lakers reporter Trevor Lane, the team has now assigned second-year guard Bronny James Jr. to its G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Trevor Lane
The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned guard Bronny James Jr. to the South Bay Lakers.
James has appeared in 27 NBA games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 assists in 6.8 minutes per night while shooting 38.8% from the field.
He has hovered on the edge of the rotation for much of the campaign, but was a DNP against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday and again in Saturday’s win over Golden State.
Given those circumstances, the move to South Bay makes sense.
It provides James with an opportunity for consistent minutes and a clearly defined role, something that has been central to his development path since entering the league as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
As a rookie in the G League, James averaged 18.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 18 games, shooting 41.9% from the field and 33.6% from three.
Through nine G League games this season, his production has dipped to 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, though his field-goal percentage has climbed to 45.1%.
Developmental Path Remains Clear
During the second half of the 2024-25 season, James benefitted from an extended G League run, averaging 21.9 points and 5.2 assists while shooting 38% from beyond the arc over 11 regular-season games.
The Lakers will be hoping a similar stretch this time around can help restore confidence and rhythm.
Still, the timing of the assignment does highlight a more sobering reality. Despite a thinned guard rotation, James did not see the floor in either of the past two games.
With Doncic also ruled out against Oklahoma City and James assigned to the G League, that trend is unlikely to change ahead of the All-Star break.
Lane did not specify whether the assignment is strictly for practice or a longer stint ahead of South Bay’s next game on Tuesday against the San Diego Clippers.
Earlier this week, the Lakers also assigned Dalton Knecht and rookie wing Adou Thiero to South Bay for practice.
Knecht’s move appeared purely developmental, while Thiero’s inclusion marked a significant step forward in his recovery from a sprained MCL that has sidelined him since December 30.
Rather than forcing short-term fixes that have yet to deliver, the Lakers are clearly leaning into internal development and evaluation as they navigate injuries during a demanding stretch of the season.