The Los Angeles Lakers moved to 11-4 on the season with a convincing 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, a game that also celebrated the long-awaited return of LeBron James after he sat out the first 14 contests while managing sciatica that flared up during the offseason.
With a rare four-day break before their next matchup on Sunday, the Lakers front office used Thursday to make a development-focused roster adjustment.
The organization assigned second-year guard Bronny James and first-year forward Adou Thiero to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, who are scheduled to face the Santa Cruz Warriors on Friday evening.
The decision provides both young players with valuable live-game experience during the NBA team’s brief pause in the schedule. Bronny, who earned his first career start last weekend, has seen a modest uptick in playing time this season.
Through 15 games, the 20-year-old has appeared in ten contests, logging an average of 11.1 minutes per outing — a noticeable increase from the 6.7 minutes he averaged across 27 appearances as a rookie last year.
Offensively, he continues to search for rhythm at the NBA level, posting 2.1 points, 1.8 assists, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game on 29.6% shooting from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc.
In contrast, he dominated during extended G League stints a season ago, putting up 21.9 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while showcasing a far more assertive version of his skill set.
For Thiero, the assignment offers his first taste of professional minutes after going undrafted out of Arkansas earlier this year.
The pair will suit up for South Bay on Friday before rejoining the parent club in time for Sunday’s game, giving Los Angeles coaches additional data on two prospects still very much in the early stages of their professional development.
More playing time in the G-League will be beneficial for James. He has taken some strides from his rookie season, but there is a lot more work left for him to do.
It’s likely that James will be back with the Lakers at the professional level in the near future.
