“The only way you get better at playing any sport is by actually playing. It’s a great story for LeBron, but Bronny needs the G-League experience to grow as a basketball player.” Charles Barkley recently became another voice that urged LeBron’s eldest to begin his tenure in the G League soon. Despite being a 2nd round pick, the LA team had handed Bronny James a guaranteed contract. This did not obligate him to split his time, as a two-way contract would have. However, looking at his poor stats, he quickly was classified as a developmental player. Therefore, the G-League would provide him with the needed chance to grow and improve.

Fortunately, there won’t be any more delays in sending Bronny James to the South Bay Lakers, as noticed in a recent update provided by the franchise. Therefore, without any further ado, let’s know more about the 20-year-old’s debut with a new roster.

When will Bronny James make his G-League debut?

Earlier today, Shams Charania broke the news that the Lakers have now assigned Bronny James to the South Bay Lakers. The young star is set to make his debut against the Salt Lake City Stars, the affiliate of the Utah Jazz, on November 9. Before heading there, however, he’s expected to participate in one final game with his father and the Lakers, as they take on the 76ers a day from now.

The South Bay-Salt Lake City game is at the UCLA Health Training Center. A 30-minute drive from the Crypto.Com Arena, it serves as the training center for the Lakers, but home base for the G-League franchise.

If one is expecting to go online and buy tickets for the game right away, too late! According to LA Times’ Arash Markazi, it was all sold out by yesterday! If one can find entry passes on secondary markets, it could cost them at least $200 when making a purchase.

Therefore, the only choice would be to simply tune in and watch the game from the comfort of your home. Fortunately, hoops enthusiasts can find Bronny’s G-League debut streaming on Tubi and Spectrum SportsNet. Residents residing in Mexico and Canada can even use YouTube to access the live coverage, which will begin at 1 AM UTC.

Shams Charania also further reported that shifting to the G-League does not mark an end to Bronny James’ time with the franchise. Rather, he will only split the time between both. The 20-year-old will return to the Lakers camp, once the G-League side starts traveling to other cities for away games.

Thanks to the guaranteed contract that pays him so much more than what the 55th overall pick from 2023 made, Bronny may very well become the highest-paid player in the G-League. After all, London Johnson, the highest-paid player in the affiliate league currently, plays under a 2-year, $1.1 million contract, while LeBron James’ eldest possesses a 4-year, $7.89 million deal.

Can Bronny James improve by dropping to the G-League?

It is no secret that Bronny James is not his father. He doesn’t need to be. However, having averaged only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists at USC, doubts emerged on whether he could thrive in the NBA’s competitive environment. But playing in the regular season did not improve his stats, as he’s only averaged 1 point, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game, over 4 games. By being a part of the main lineup, the 20-year-old is not making any major contribution, simultaneously hurting the LA Lakers and himself.

However, this is not to say that Bronny James does not have scope for improvement. According to Jovan Buha, scouts are looking at Bronny more as a defensive prospect. Coaches saw glimpses of his defensive playmaking skills in the Summer League and the preseason. With the G-League, LeBron’s eldest son can improve upon that, by playing against like-for-like players with similar-level skill sets. At the same time, the hoopster can also make improvements on his jump shots and offensive role.

“Our plans are always fluid based in real-time,” said JJ Redick.

“You base things in real-time. And the plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers roster and the South Bay roster, that’s always been the plan since Day 1. Rob (Pelinka) and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”

Whether there is a significant improvement in a few months from now is a question that will only be answered in due course. By strongly focusing on what Bronny James does next, JJ Redick and Co. may very well end up yielding a proper fruit out of their investment and possess another playmaker that may help them in their championship goal.