Bronny James Rumors: Lakers Assign LeBron's Son to G League; Debut scheduled for Saturday | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

As expected, the Los Angeles Lakers assigned Bronny James to their G League affiliate South Bay on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

According to this report, he will remain with the Lakers for a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday before making his G League debut against Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Charania added that the younger James is expected to only play in South Bay home games.

The 20-year-old second-round pick hasn't played a role for the Lakers so far this season, appearing in four games and averaging one point per game while shooting 16.7 percent from the field.

James was always expected to spend time in both the NBA and G League this season.

“Our plans are always flexible and based on real time,” head coach JJ Redick told reporters last week. “I think we have two guys taking off their clothes today that we haven't taken off since yesterday. The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay was always the plan from day one. (General Manager) Rob (Pelinka) and I talked about it. LeBron talked about it.

James is undoubtedly an unfinished product after just a single season at USC, where he averaged just 4.8 points in 25 games and largely came off the bench. At this stage of his career, he has shown promise as a defender and secondary playmaker, but his offensive game is still nowhere near NBA level.

“As we prioritize player development, we look at Bronny as case study one because his fundamental feel, his athleticism, his point of attack from the defender, his shooting and his passing – there's a lot to like about his game,” said Redick Reporter in July. “And as we expand our player development program holistically, he will have a great opportunity to become an outstanding NBA player.”

In the G League, James can get more playing time to hone his craft. Outside of his free time, it is unlikely that he will play regularly for the Lakers.