Lakers' Bronny James readies for second pro game
Sun Jul 7 11:08am ET
Field Level Media
Bronny James will make his second pro appearance Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors' summer league team, and the Los Angeles Lakers rookie admitted the nerves got to him in his debut Saturday.
James scored four points on 2-for-9 shooting in the Lakers' 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic. He added two assists, two rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes of play.
"Every first game that I step into the next level, it's always some butterflies in my stomach," the 19-year-old told reporters, per ESPN. "But as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down, it all goes away and I'm just playing basketball. So it's always going to be there, but I'll get through it."
The Lakers selected Bronny -- officially known as LeBron James Jr. -- with the No. 55 pick of last month's NBA draft. His famous dad, also his Lakers' teammate, wasn't there and won't be on hand for Sunday's game in San Francisco. He's in Las Vegas with other NBA stars preparing for to play for Team USA in the Paris Olympics later this month.
Still, the elder James kept an eye on his son.
"What he does in the California Classic and summer league, it doesn't matter if he plays well and it doesn't matter if he doesn't play well," LeBron said, per ESPN. "I just want him to continue to grow (from) practices, film sessions, his individual workouts. You can't take anything stat-wise from the California Classic and summer league and bring it to once the season starts. So, the only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days."
Dane Johnson, the coach of the Lakers' G League affiliate, is in charge of the summer league team. He said the plan is for Bronny to get his chances to learn. Bronny, a guard, has played one season -- 25 games -- of college ball at Southern California after suffering cardiac arrest during a summer workout last July.
"He's going to play -- granted, if he's healthy -- throughout this whole thing," Johnson said of Bronny's summer league schedule. "We're going to try to integrate him and try to get him as many reps as we can. Because he needs more experience playing. And especially the NBA game. It's a little different than college, so getting reps in the NBA, in an NBA setting with good players will help him in the long run."
Dalton Knecht, selected by the Lakers in the first round with the No. 17 pick, shot 3-for-12 and scored 12 points.
After Sunday, the Lakers will conclude California Classic play Wednesday against the Miami Heat, then begin play in the Las Vegas portion of the summer league on Friday against the Houston Rockets.
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Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan set a new Summer League record in Las Vegas by averaging 4.3 blocks per game. The previous top mark stood at 4.0 and was shared by Victor Wembanyama, Amen Thompson, and Greg Oden. Clingan registered 17 swats in total across four outings. He also came very close to averaging a double-double in the Summer League, posting 9.0 points per game with 12.3 rebounds. The 20-year-old was named to the All-Summer League Second Team. Clingan starts off his NBA career as Deandre Ayton's backup in Portland, but his defensive ability could secure him a good chunk of minutes.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 29 points and handed out 11 assists as his team lost the Las Vegas Summer League championship game to Miami 120-118 in overtime on Monday. Pippen Jr.'s juicy line included five rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, but his shooting was off. The 23-year-old made only one of his eight attempts from three-point range and finished 9-for-24 overall from the field. Pippen Jr. closed out the action in Las Vegas with three consecutive double-doubles, including a triple-double, earning himself a spot on the All-Summer League First Team. He averaged 21.5 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.3 steals. Pippen Jr. was a good fantasy contributor over the final stretch of the season in 2023-24. But with the Grizzlies' backcourt injuries clearing up, he will be forced to settle for a smaller role in the upcoming campaign.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia erupted for a game-high 32 points in Monday's championship game in the Las Vegas Summer League, finishing a 120-118 overtime loss to Miami with 11-for-21 shooting. The 22-year-old went 3-for-8 with the three-ball and tallied six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. LaRavia's Summer League campaign was disrupted by a knee injury, but the former first-round pick made an impressive return to the lineup on Sunday. He enjoyed a good finish to last season, but LaRavia will likely struggle to please fantasy managers in 2024-25 with the Grizzlies back healthy.
Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II recorded a very efficient 28 points in Monday's Summer League final against Miami but couldn't guide his side to victory. The 19-year-old finished 11-for-18 from the floor with a 3-for-4 record from downtown. Jackson II missed his third double-double of the summer by one rebound and had two assists with two steals. The young Memphis forward was one of the stars of the Las Vegas Summer League and was named to the All-Summer League First Team. He averaged 22.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. After enjoying a strong rookie campaign, Jackson II has a lot to live up to in 2024-25, but he appears well capable of taking another step in his development.
Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware played his part in Monday's Summer League final triumph against the Grizzlies with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double. The young big man had an excellent Summer League campaign with the Heat and finished it in style, shooting 8-for-10 from the field while also logging one block. Ware averaged 1.5 swats per game in Las Vegas, along with 18.0 points and 8.3 rebounds. He was named to the All-Summer League First Team for his impressive efforts. At 20 years old, Ware still has a lot of room to grow and develop his game, but he looks ready to contribute to the Heat right away in his rookie campaign.
Miami Heat shooting guard Josh Christopher was named MVP of the Summer League Championship Game after he scored 24 points to help his squad to a 120-118 overtime victory against Memphis. Christopher heated up in the semifinals against Golden State with a 23-point effort and continued where he left off on Monday. The 22-year-old shot a sizzling 6-for-10 from three-point range and 9-for-17 overall. He came up big defensively as well, with three steals and two blocks. Christopher, a first-round pick in 2021, hopes to secure a two-way contract with the Heat. He has averaged 6.9 points in 15.4 minutes across 138 career games but didn't see any NBA action last season.
The Chicago Bulls have signed guard DJ Steward on a two-way deal on Sunday. The undrafted Duke product has been impressive during the summer league. He knocked down 11 shots which accumulated for 37 points in 32 minutes on Friday. Steward is averaging over 19 points in the summer league so it's not surprising to see someone signing him to a deal. He went undrafted in 2021 and has bounced around in the G-League since then. Steward has a good chance of actually cracking the rotation on the rebuilding Bulls roster. This is a feel-good story but Steward probably won't offer any fantasy value right away.
The Raptors waived forward Sasha Vezenkov on Monday. The 28-year-old played sparingly in Sacramento last season, averaging 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per contest. He was traded to Toronto this offseason. However, Vezenkov forfeited his $6.6 million salary and plans to sign a four-year contract with Olympiacos in Greece.
Free-agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie agreed to a one-year deal with the Mavericks. The 31-year-old began the 2023-24 campaign with the Nets before making his way to the Lakers. However, he struggled in Los Angeles, averaging 6.8 points in 24.2 minutes per contest. Dinwiddie could see a few starts in 2024-25, especially with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving being known for battling various ailments over the years. Still, he likely won't see enough action consistently to be a routine fantasy contributor in any format.
Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski completed Summer League action with a nice double-double, scoring 26 points and recording 11 rebounds in a 98-87 victory over Detroit. The seven-footer from Duke led all players in both categories. He added four assists and two steals for a good all-around line, shooting 8-for-22 from the field with a 3-for-11 record from deep. After struggling in the Salt Lake City Summer League, Filipowski had a strong run in Las Vegas, averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. However, he clearly needs to work on his shooting after barely making 40 percent of his efforts across eight appearances this summer.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. left his fingerprints all over Sunday's 99-98 win over the Clippers, recording the sixth triple-double in Summer League history with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. Additionally, he collected two steals and one block in the game, shooting 5-for-15 from the field. Pippen Jr. got only a few shots to drop, but he finished 3-for-5 from outside and was perfect at the charity stripe with 10 attempts. It's been a great Summer League campaign for Pippen Jr., and he gets one more opportunity to shine as the Grizzlies face Miami in Monday's championship game.
Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Jordan Miller was a scoring machine in Sunday's Summer League finale against Memphis, netting 28 points in 26 minutes on 8-for-14 shooting. He nailed four shots from downtown with five attempts and finished 8-for-9 at the line. Miller also put a shift in defensively by recording a pair of steals with one block, and he tallied two rebounds and four assists. The 24-year-old, who was an NBA G League All-Rookie Team member last season, put in impressive work throughout the Summer League. Miller averaged 25.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals across five games. He's on a two-way deal with the Clippers and could get a look by the team, but Miller faces a lot of competition for playing time in L.A.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray closed out the Summer League action with his best performance of the tournament on Sunday, leading the charge at both ends in a 105-95 victory over Houston. The 23-year-old put up 20 points on 5-for-13 shooting and registered nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Murray was 3-for-9 from behind the arc. The Iowa product finished the Summer League with averages of 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Murray saw quite a bit of action during his rookie year, but injuries played a big part in it, and 2024-25 could be very different for him.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Golden State Warriors would rather move Jonathan Kuminga instead of Brandin Podziemski in a trade for Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. The 2023 No. 19 overall pick had a quality inaugural season in 2023-24, finishing by averaging 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 38.5% from behind the arc. He also made 28 appearances with the starting lineup. Although Kuminga is someone the Warriors have declined to trade over the years, it appears chances are higher than ever that he could be moved. On the other hand, the Warriors have a hole to fill in the starting lineup after Klay Thompson signed with the Mavericks this offseason, meaning Podziemski is more valuable than ever to the club.
Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser agreed to a four-year, $45 million extension with the team. The 26-year-old was a routine option off the bench for Boston during the 2023-24 campaign, finishing the season by averaging a career-high 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 42.4% from behind the three-point line. While the C's usually lean heavily on the starting lineup, Hauser should continue to see minutes in 2024-25. However, unless he gets a spot-start at some point during the season, his fantasy upside is limited.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson has been making his presence known during the Summer League. On Saturday, Tyson dropped 23 points on 9-of-10 field goal attempts with five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action. It was a bit surprising to see the Cavs take the Cal product so early in the draft. He was selected 20th overall but is looking like a good pickup at the moment. Despite that, Tyson is unlikely to have a big role in the rotation during his first season in Cleveland.
Washington Wizards point guard Carlton Carrington was doing a little bit of everything during Saturday's summer league contest. The rookie guard finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 35 minutes of action. The Wizards used their first-round pick on Carrington and it's looking like a good selection. He should see significant minutes on the rebuilding Wizards roster. It's worth noting that the Wizards did add Malcolm Brogdon this offseason. Although, Brogdon should be more of a veteran depth option and he shouldn't take away many minutes from Carrington.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley agreed to a five-year, $224 million extension with the team on Saturday night. The 2021 No. 3 overall pick has averaged 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 198 regular season games. He's still young. However, Mobley is already one of the league's most productive big men. With that said, the 23-year-old has room for improvement. But he should remain a top fantasy option in 2024-25 and beyond if he stays healthy.
Utah Jazz guard Russell Westbrook was released by the team on Saturday. He was recently acquired in a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers for Kris Dunn. However, this move was expected all along, with the veteran anticipated to sign with the Denver Nuggets upon clearing waivers. Westbrook finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging a career-low 11.1 points with 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. While he's not expected to start routinely for the Nuggets, he could see enough minutes to be relevant from a fantasy standpoint, especially with Denver's lack of options from off the bench. Jamal Murray has also missed time over the years due to various injuries, so Westbrook might also make a few appearances with the first five this season.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Ziaire Williams, along with a 2030 second-round pick, is headed to the Brooklyn Nets. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets and Grizzlies have agreed on a deal that sends them to Brooklyn in exchange for Mamadi Diakite. The second-round pick is from the Dallas Mavericks. Williams was drafted 10th overall in 2021 and has played three seasons with the Grizzlies. During his time there, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting .426/.301/.803. He hasn't found a consistent role just yet, but should get some opportunities with a rebuilding Nets team.