The Lakers are sending Bronny James to the G League affiliate in the South Bay, where he will play home games

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned Bronny James to their G League affiliate in the South Bay. reports ESPN’s Shams Charania.

James is expected to join South Bay for Saturday’s game against Salt Lake City. However, he will be on the Lakers’ roster for their game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).

James is scheduled to split his time between South Bay and Los Angeles, playing home games for the G League team and being available to the Lakers when South Bay plays on the road. according to Charania.

James’ move between the NBA and the G League was expected once the Lakers returned from their five-game road trip, which included a game with the Cleveland Cavaliers that Bronny’s father, LeBron James, certainly wanted Son joins in to create a special moment for the James family.

Bronny played five minutes in the Lakers’ 134-110 loss to Cleveland, scoring two points (on his first NBA basket of his career) with two assists and a steal, as well as a very supportive home crowd.

LeBron played for the Cavs twice, for a total of 11 seasons. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. During his time with the Cavs, LeBron won Rookie of the Year, two NBA MVP awards and the 2015-16 NBA Championship. Bronny was born in Cleveland shortly before LeBron’s sophomore season in 2004.

In four games for the Lakers, Bronny averaged one point and three minutes per game. He was the Lakers’ second-round pick (No. 55 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract, a standard contract negotiated by agent Rich Paul, rather than the two-way Contract under which prospects typically play between the NBA and the G League.