The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a rut as of late, losing back-to-back games despite the return of LeBron James on Saturday.

Los Angeles currently sits at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings with a 43-27 record after two straight losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls. 

As the Lakers look to bounce back with a four-game road trip ahead of them, they have assigned Bronny James back to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. 

At 13-17 in the Western Conference, South Bay has already been eliminated from playoff contention but is still looking for a strong finish to the season with Bronny James on board.

Bronny James will return to the G League shortly after his best game in an NBA uniform, posting 17 points, three rebounds and five assists against the Bucks. He also saw action in the loss vs. the Bulls, where he tallied two points and an assist in seven minutes.  

The eldest of James’ children has spent quite some time with the South Bay Lakers. The 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft has averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the G League. 

There may have been doubt surrounding Bronny James’ presence with the Lakers, but the rookie seems to be slowly turning into a player that Los Angeles could help mold into a rotation piece. 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9)

© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As James heads back to the G League, the Lakers will prepare for a matchup against the Orlando Magic on the horizon. 

The Magic continue the race for a playoff spot when they face the Lakers. They’re currently sitting at 33-38 in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Los Angeles, meanwhile, are currently hanging on to the fourth seed with Memphis (43-28, 0.5 games back) and Golden State (41-30, 2.5 games back) lurking behind. It will the Grizzlies to end the road trip, with games against Indiana and a rematch against the Bulls slated before that.