The Lakers have kept rolling without LeBron James, and the early-season spotlight in Los Angeles has fallen on Luka Doncic, Austin Reeves and Walker Kessler as the team sits as the Western Conference’s second-best group through nine games. Bronny James has been part of the roster too, but his role in that run has been much quieter.
Now the Lakers are sending James to the G League, where he’ll join the South Beach Lakers before their regular season begins. It’s the latest step in a situation that had plenty of people wondering what his path in Los Angeles would look like once LeBron James left.
James opened the season with the NBA club and made five appearances, including scoring in wins over the Heat and Warriors. But when the G League season got underway, the Lakers adjusted their roster and moved James, along with Cameron Carr, out of the big-league mix.
The decision isn’t exactly a shock. James saw action in the preseason, but he never put together a standout stretch, topping out at four points in any of the five games. Three seasons into his career, the 22-year-old is still trying to carve out a real NBA lane, and right now he looks like a fringe player.
There are still reasons to think his game can develop. The USC product played 42 games in his sophomore year, improved his shooting while taking more attempts, and flashed some defensive upside in limited minutes.
Even so, JJ Redick doesn’t seem to view him as part of the regular rotation. The G League now gives James a chance to show more and try to push his way back into the conversation in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Lakers Added A New Big With One Job Fans Will Notice
The Lakers made a quiet frontcourt addition by bringing in center Lawson Lovering on a two-way contract, a move that opened a roster spot after forward AK Okereke was waived. Lovering arrives with a resume that includes two NBA appearances with the Memphis Grizzlies, plus plenty of time in the G League and college basketball, and he is already framing his job in simple terms: help on defense, clean the glass and do the dirty work around the edges.
For a team always searching for size it can trust, that kind of role can matter more than flash. Lovering is not being asked to come in and carry an offense, and his path to minutes will likely be built on screens, physicality and the little things that support everyone else around him. The real question now is how quickly the Lakers can turn that straightforward skill set into something useful when the roster starts to get tested. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Face One Big Rotation Question With First Place At Stake
The Lakers head into a Western Conference matchup with Portland carrying a familiar mix of availability questions, and the timing could hardly be more important. With first place in the standings on the line, Los Angeles is trying to sort out its rotation while already being without Cameron Carr and Bronny James, leaving the coaching staff to balance stability and flexibility against a short turnaround and a meaningful game.
Portland comes in shorthanded as well, missing Ja Morant, Shaedon Sharpe, John Tonje and Vit Krejci, so the injury report is shaping the night as much as the matchup itself. For the Lakers, the bigger swing may come from the frontcourt picture, where one key big man is available after dealing with a recent hand issue, while another remains in question as the team waits to see how the final pregame decisions shake out. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Had The Perfect Reaction To A Huge Lakers Breakthrough
Walker Kessler has quietly become one of the Lakers most important two-way pieces this season, giving them a defensive anchor in the paint while also supplying steady offense. His production has been a big part of why the team has been able to lean into a more balanced identity, with Kessler averaging 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
The shot-blocking has been especially valuable, and it is the kind of impact that tends to draw attention once the numbers start stacking up across the league. Kesslers reaction to the latest Lakers breakthrough fit the moment, too, with a mix of confidence and curiosity that underscored just how aware he is of where he stands among the NBAs elite rim protectors. [Read more 🡒]