Will Bronny James play for the Lakers in NBA Summer League?

Many dreams came true on the second night of the NBA Draft this year, but one in particular was a shared dream between father and son. With the 55th overall pick, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James, pairing the 19-year-old guard with his 39-year-old father, LeBron. 

The selection is a historic one: LeBron and Bronny will be the first-ever father-son duo to play in the league simultaneously.

Now that father and son are officially on the same roster, the next immediate question is when the two will take the court. It will be months until LeBron and Bronny play together in a professional setting during the NBA regular season, but Bronny is guaranteed to get some minutes during NBA Summer League this year. 

Will Lakers rookie Bronny James play in Summer League?

There’s no definitive timeline on when Bronny will take the court, but it’s likely he’ll see minutes in the first Summer League game scheduled for Los Angeles. 

NBA Summer League 2024 tips off at UNLV’s campus and takes place from July 12-22. On July 12, the Lakers have a game scheduled against the Houston Rockets. Considering what they spent on him in the draft and the hype surrounding the former USC Trojan, it’s reasonable to assume that this is when fans will finally see Bronny shine in purple and gold.

Bronny’s NBA Draft stock fell significantly after he suffered cardiac arrest last July due to a congenital heart defect. Before then, LeBron’s son was widely considered to be a top 10 draft prospect in this year’s draft.

Bronny declared for the draft while maintaining college eligibility, although it didn’t take long for NBA teams to begin circling him. He reportedly received at least ten workout invites ahead of the draft, which included the Lakers and Suns. 

It looks like at least one of those teams — the favorite option between father and son — finally worked out.