Bronny James was among three starters who did not play because of a team medical decision based on the amount of practices and games throughout the California Classic and NBA Summer League as the Lakers concluded summer play Saturday.
First-round draft choice Dalton Knecht and forward Maxwell Lewis, who averaged 0.3 points in 34 games for the Lakers in the 2023-24 season, also did not play in the 107-81 victory over the Chicago Bulls in an NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas.
James, a second-round choice in last month’s draft and oldest son of LeBron James, averaged 7.0 points in two California Classic and four NBA Summer League games, making 17 of 52 shots, 32.7%, including 3 of 27 3-point shots, 13.0%, and 5 of 8 free throws, 62.5%.
The 6-foot-2-inch guard’s final two games were his best. James scored 12 points in an 87-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday and 13 in a 93-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday.
“He had two pretty good games last two,” said South Bay Lakers coach Dane Johnson, who coached the Lakers’ summer team. “I think it’s just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him. Just that confidence and knowing he can play at this level. It’s still going to take a lot of time and a lot of reps.”
The Lakers concluded the summer with three consecutive victories after losing their first five games. Forward Blake Hinson led four Lakers in double figures with 25 points, while guard Quincy Olivari added 20 in 23 minutes, 6 seconds off the bench in the 40-minute game, and center Moses Brown and guard Vincent Valerio-Bodon 10 each.
Hinson is an undrafted rookie free agent from Pittsburgh whose signing to a two-way contract was announced July 5. Olivari is an undrafted rookie who completed his college career at Xavier after playing four seasons at Rice.
The 7-foot-2-inch Brown averaged 5.2 points in 150 NBA games over five seasons with six teams after being UCLA’s starter in his lone college season, 2018-19. Brown averaged 5.7 points in 25 games with the South Bay Lakers in the 2023-24 season after averaging 5.9 points in four seasons with three teams in his native Hungary.
The Lakers led 39-18 after the first quarter, 56-36 at halftime and 72-58 after three quarters.
Guard Dereon Seabron scored 18 in 22:32 off the bench to lead four players in double figures for the Bulls (2-3). Seabron averaged 1.6 points in 11 games with the New Orleans Pelicans over two seasons.