Lakers News: Bronny James Open to Getting Reps in G League This Year

The rookie guard has struggled to score in Summer League thus far.

Jul 10, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) on defense against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James, the No. 55 pick out of USC and the son of 20-time L.A. All-Star combo forward LeBron James, has struggled to score in Summer League thus far.

He is shooting 6-for-26 from the floor across his three Summer League games thus far, including 0-of-12 from beyond the arc.

"I just feel like I'm in a little slump right now," James said.

In fairness, James must have been in a little slump for the entirety of 2023-24 while with at USC, too. He averaged just 4.8 points on .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists a game for the Trojans.

“I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” James said, when asked if he'd be amenable to spending time on the Lakers G League's G League squad in El Segundo, the South Bay Lakers.

Dane Johnson, the team's Summer League head coach and the head coach of the South Bay Lakers, said that he was essentially not at liberty to divulge how much or how little time James might spend playing for the Lakers' G League squad.

"I don’t know about that yet, so I can’t really comment on that,” Johnson said “But I think all these guys are going to be in the G League at some point — the draftees."

"Shoot, he's going to have a long career," Johnson said of Bronny James. "This is just the beginning. We just keep instilling [confidence], keep that in their heads. So we've got a long way to go."

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