Bronny James arguably played the best game of his NBA career against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month. He scored 12 points and six assists on 5 of 10 shooting. However, just as things looked good for James, he’s been handed discouraging news ahead of the clash against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers announced that Bronny and Adou Thiero have been assigned to the South Bay Lakers on February 22. Since going pro last season, James’ game time has been split between the NBA and the G League. This is the third time this year and the second time this month alone that the Lakers have assigned the 21-year-old player to the developmental league. The last time he suited up for South Bay and had a good game was not too long ago.

James scored 13 points and had five rebounds on a tough shooting night, going 35.7% from the field. However, he also recorded five assists, two blocks, and a steal in the blowout 127-105 win over the Texas Legends on February 20. He is now gearing up to face the Valley Suns in a back-to-back starting Tuesday.

While James continues to divide his time between the G League and the NBA, questions loom about his future, or lack thereof, in the NBA.

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Does Bronny James have an NBA future after his latest G League assignment?

When Bronny James was assigned to the G League for the first time last season, head coach JJ Redick assured that it would be a realistic learning curve. His second-round status in the NBA draft made it clear he wasn’t a top pick, and the G League would help him develop his game, as we have seen in flashes. While he has mostly warmed the bench with the Lakers, getting extensive minutes with South Bay was his goal.

So far, James has played 11 games for South Bay, averaging 12.9 points, 3.36 rebounds, 5 assists, and 0.6 blocks per game. One of the biggest improvements in his game has been his field shooting, which is now at 44.7%, up from 41.9% last season. However, it’s worth noting that he’s been shooting much less this season, and his three-point shooting has plummeted to 29.3% per game.

The reality is that James didn’t come NBA-ready. To become a regular part of the rotation, it was always clear that he would have to grind it out in the G League. In his second season with the Lakers, he is already showing confidence. He is more willing to take shots and looks more mature in his selection.

As for his NBA stats this season, he has played 29 games for the Lakers, averaging 2.2 points and 1.2 assists in 7.3 minutes per game.

The Lakers have continued to work on their plan to sustain G League development, often assigning Drew Timme, Nick Smith Jr., and Chris Manon to South Bay too. Redick continues reshaping the fringes of his NBA roster, bringing in Luke Kennard while bumping Kobe Bufkin to a standard contract.

It is difficult to determine whether Redick sees enough value in promoting James to a greater role than his garbage-minute duty, which is also occasional at this point. This does sound slightly unjust to the 21-year-old, but a lot of his Purple and Gold future depends on his dad’s career decision in the summer.