Bronny James is expected to make his NBA debut next month when the 2024-25 season gets underway.
James got drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He played one season at USC before declaring for the draft, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
Even though he’s expected to debut in October, Magic Johnston thinks James should spend the entire season in the G League so he can develop more.
“If I’m Bronny, I would tell my dad, ‘Just let me play in the G League all season so that I can develop,'” Johnson said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” (first transcribed by TMZ). “He needs playing time. He doesn’t need to be sitting on the Laker bench and not playing.”
“He needs to develop more and then he will be ready because he has some great talent and skills, but he needs to develop those skills at a much better clip if he wants to play 15-20 minutes a night in the NBA or more.”
Time will tell if the Lakers agree with Johnson’s assessment or if they decide to throw him to the wolves when the season starts on October 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Related: Charles Barkley Suggests Bronny James Could Play For Lakers This Year