The Los Angeles Lakers, currently 33–21 and fifth in the Western Conference, will take the floor Friday when they host the Los Angeles Clippers, kicking off the second half of the NBA season.
Ahead of the matchup, the Lakers have made a decision regarding second-year guard Bronny James, who has struggled to carve out a role on the pro roster this year.
James has been sent back to the G League to play with the South Bay Lakers in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday against the Texas Legends, marking his seventh and eighth games with South Bay.
While he is averaging just 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game in the NBA this season, he has been much more effective in the G League, where he gets more minutes and the ball in his hands.
Across four G League games, James is averaging 15.8 points, 5.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game, while shooting an impressive 42.9% from three-point range.
James is just 21 years old, so his NBA journey is far from over. However, it does raise questions about how long that journey will remain with the Lakers, who currently have a guard-heavy roster and seemingly no role for him.
He signed a four-year, $7.9 million rookie contract with the Lakers, including $4.37 million fully guaranteed, which will be paid out by the end of this season. Los Angeles also holds a team option for the 2027–28 season, meaning they could choose to move on from James after next year without needing to trade or release him.
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