Lacking draft picks and roster depth, the Los Angeles Lakers were largely inactive at the trade deadline, unable to make substantial improvements. The only way they could bring in sharpshooter Luke Kennard was by trading Gabe Vincent. The team has also secured the services of Kobe Bufkin, a previous first-round selection, via a two-way contract for their fifteenth roster position. In all of this, on Monday, the Lakers announced that Bronny James has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers. This news comes after reports emerging of the Purple and Gold planning to cut ties with LeBron James’ son to utilize the 15th spot in the buyout market.

Bronny James has only averaged 6.7 minutes per game this season, the lowest on the Lakers roster, and appears to be the only expendable player. But as they want to keep LeBron James satisfied, they have assigned him to their G-League team. Even Bufkin, who earlier signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers, played four games, double what Bronny played in that time period. However, his move to South Bay is mostly for his development, as he is expected to get regular game time there.

The youngster was an active member in the rotation for the Lakers earlier this season when Vincent was injured, but soon his minutes went down, and he has been used sparingly. He has appeared in 27 games, along with a solitary start, as he is averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 assists while shooting 37.5 percent from the 3-point line. His numbers haven’t seen much improvement from his rookie season in the NBA.

Bronny has played nine games for South Bay this season. He’s averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field. Overall, this announcement could be a hint of what comes next for Bronny James.

LeBron James hails Bronny James’ growth as a professional

Life as an NBA player has not been easy for Bronny James as he wakes up every day with the pressure of living upto his father’s legacy. He has shown some promise here and there, but overall, he is far from a finished product. Therefore, the Lakers believe that playing in the G-League will help the young guard develop his game even more.

Last year, he and LeBron James scripted history by becoming the first father-son duo to feature in the NBA. Since then, things have not come easily for the youngster as she has been devoid of minutes this season. However, he played for a few minutes in LeBron’s homecoming at Cleveland, where he entertained the fans with a breakaway dunk.

Before that, the fans chanted ‘We Want Bronny,’ and they had their wishes fulfilled when Redick turned to the youngster, and he didn’t disappoint. Bronny recorded eight points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field to go along with one assist and one steal. The highlight of the night was when he secured a steal, and in the same move, he went up to the rim and finished it with a smashing dunk.

Looking at his growth, LeBron shared his thoughts, and he sounded like one proud father. “The kid’s been putting in a lot of work over the last couple of years being a pro, and when he gets an opportunity, he’s trying to make the most of it,” said James.

The 55th overall pick, who has a couple of years left on his contract, with the 2027-28 year being a team option, needs to prove himself at the G-League to regain the trust of JJ Redick, or else the Lakers may call time on his stay in Los Angeles with the hope of securing someone more valuable from the buyout market, especially after they missed out on securing Cam Thomas, who joined Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent.