The Los Angeles Lakers have reassigned Bronny James to the G League for further development, the team confirmed Saturday, following a night in which the second-year guard was a healthy scratch during L.A.’s 129-119 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The move, first reported by the Los Angeles Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen, sends Bronny back to the South Bay Lakers, where he previously logged two developmental games earlier this month.
Bronny Sent Down After DNP as Lakers Tighten Rotation
Lakers head coach JJ Redick stayed with his preferred nine-man rotation Friday night, leaning on Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber off the bench. With the Lakers clinching Western Conference Group B in the NBA Cup, Redick opted for continuity as the stakes and intensity rose.
Bronny has averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 assists across two G League appearances, battling turnover issues (3.0 per game) and inconsistent shooting—38.1% from the field and 23.1% from three—but flashing the playmaking and defensive spark (1.5 steals per game) the organization believes he can refine with more reps.
In the NBA, Bronny is averaging 1.9 points, 1.7 assists and 0.8 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game across 11 appearances.
LeBron James: ‘Super Proud of Him’
Despite the demotion, LeBron James delivered a powerful endorsement of his son’s growth during the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast.
“Super proud of him,” James said, emphasizing Bronny’s toughness on the defensive end. “It’s been great, not only as a father but as a student of the game to see someone use what he did last year in the G League, get more comfortable, and then go into Summer League more comfortable.”
James noted that Bronny’s confidence has steadily grown, especially in moments where he was thrust into meaningful minutes early in the season.
“For a young player, the more and more time you get, the better you get,” he said.
Bronny’s Breakthrough Moments Earned Legend’s Praise
While LeBron missed the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, he watched Bronny seize rare crunch-time opportunities in back-to-back wins over the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 2 and 3.
Redick trusted the 21-year-old deep into the fourth quarters of both games, and Bronny responded with poised defense and timely plays.
Against Portland, he recorded six assists and zero turnovers—the first Laker to do so this season—drawing praise from franchise legend James Worthy.
“I thought this might have been Bronny’s best game of his NBA career,” Worthy said.
LeBron echoed that sentiment.
“He showed a lot of mettle in those games,” LeBron said. “On a back-to-back, in a tough environment in Portland, and he did it again. That’s what the NBA is all about.”
LeBron stressed that while he’ll guide his son when asked, Bronny’s journey must ultimately be his own.
“I can tell him what I saw, but he has to walk his own journey,” James said. “I can give him the blueprint… but I want him to walk through the fire.”
Bronny Outlines His Development Plan in the G League
After his G League debut—15 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals against Santa Cruz—Bronny explained the focus of his developmental plan under JJ Redick.
“I’m trying to better myself off the ball,” Bronny told reporters. “Me and JJ talked about all the ball handlers on the parent team, so I have to learn how to be effective off the ball. Have a .5 mentality—shoot when I’m open and get better at that.”
Redick also emphasized quicker decisions, sharper movement, and minimizing dribbles into traffic.
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