When will Bronny James make his debut for the G League South Bay Lakers?

If it seems like the Los Angeles Lakers are always in the news, that's because they are. The NBA's glitziest franchise has a history of entertaining, championship-level basketball on the court and an abundance of storylines off of it, and though their 4-4 record through eight games indicates that the Lakers may not be contending for a title this year, they still have given NBA fans plenty to talk about.

Just as the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys are for their respective sports, the Lakers are always at the top of the call sheet whenever the NBA is discussed, and since they signed LeBron James back in 2018, that effect has been amplified even further. LeBron is the most famous player in the game and a cottage industry unto himself. Combine that with the Lakers brand and there's never a dull day of coverage.

This year's Lakers have cooled down after a hot start, but it's been a fun ride nonetheless. LeBron is still going strong in Year 22, while Anthony Davis has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate. New head coach JJ Redick has provided plenty of fodder himself, such as when he stormed out of a press conference on Wednesday. Then, of course, there's Bronny James, who has become the most famous second-round draft pick in NBA history thanks to the Lakers pairing him up with his dad to make the first father-son combo to ever play together.

Bronny hasn't had much time to shine on the court, but he's still provided some fun moments, such as the first time he played with his dad on Opening Night and his standing ovation in Cleveland.

Most NBA scouts agreed that Bronny would need some seasoning before he could contribute at the NBA level, and that's been borne out in the season's first two weeks. Bronny has played in just four games for a total of 13 minutes, and there isn't much on the box score to show that he's been out there, as he has just four points, one rebound, two assists and one steal in that time.

Luckily for Bronny and his development, the G League will open its season on Saturday, and he's already been assigned to the South Bay Lakers, L.A.'s affiliate.

When will Bronny James make his G League debut?

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Thursday that the plan is for Bronny to only play home games for South Bay, with him shuttling back and forth between L.A. and South Bay throughout the season. The South Bay Lakers play at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, which is only about 15 miles from Crypto.com Arena.

The South Bay Lakers open the season at home on Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars, and that game has already been sold out in anticipation of Bronny's debut. Here's what the rest of South Bay's early season schedule looks like:

Bronny is expected to remain on the NBA roster when the Lakers take on the 76ers on Friday night, then join South Bay on Saturday and play that night. If the plan to only play South Bay home games stays in place, that would put him in line to play five of the first seven games in the G League schedule.

Bronny will be playing with some familiar faces on his G League team, such as Jalen Hood-Schifino, Quincy Olivari and Christian Koloko, all of whom Bronny knows from L.A. Those wishing to see Bronny in action can find his G League games on Tubi, ESPNU, Roku Sports Channel and ESPN+.