Bronny James secured a place on the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening night roster for the 2026-27 season, while his fellow draftee, first-round pick Dalton Knecht, was waived. However, after averaging just 2.4 minutes over five games during the Lakers’ 7-2 start, the team announced on Thursday that the 2024 second-round selection would be assigned to their G League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers. Alongside James, guard Cameron Carr was also sent to the G League ahead of their season opener against the Utah Jazz’s Salt Lake City Stars on Friday.
In his first year with the Lakers organization without his father, LeBron James, Bronny has previously spent considerable time developing in the G League, often putting up stats that exceed his NBA numbers. Over 25 combined regular-season games across the past two seasons with the then-South Bay Lakers (now rebranded and relocated), Bronny averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 49.6% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range.
Now 22 years old, James was the 55th overall pick in the draft after leaving USC more than two years ago. In his rookie season, he appeared in 27 games and made history as part of the first father-son duo to play for the Lakers, though he struggled at times, especially early on. Year two saw significant improvement, as he played in 42 games and boosted his shooting percentages from 31.3% to 40.9% overall, and from 28.1% to 38.6% beyond the arc.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick was impressed enough to include Bronny in the playoff rotation last season, albeit in limited minutes. This generated a lot of excitement about his potential moving forward.
Heading into his third year, the big question was how Bronny would adapt and perform without LeBron on the roster, including how the coaching staff and teammates would treat him without the influence of the franchise icon. So far, his opportunities during the regular season have been scarce, scoring just 0.8 points per game and attempting only three shots, of which he made two.
There’s hope James will return to the Lakers main roster soon, but his minimal playing time so far casts doubt on his ability to secure the long-term “3-and-D” role he showed flashes of last season.
As for Dalton Knecht, he signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks and recently contributed 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with seven rebounds, in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
Fan Take: This development highlights the challenges young players face when carrying a famous legacy and striving to carve out their own NBA career. Bronny’s journey is a compelling storyline for basketball fans, signaling a test of perseverance and growth while reminding us the league remains a proving ground regardless of pedigree.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
