The NBA’s first on-court father-son duo will have to wait until at least Sunday following coach JJ Redick’s announcement that LeBron James won’t play in Friday evening’s preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Acrisure Arena.
Starting center Anthony Davis also won’t play, Redick said. They will be replaced in the starting lineup by center Jaxson Hayes and forward Max Christie. Rui Hachimura will be the other starting forward while Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell will start in the backcourt.
Redick had said Thursday James and Davis would play this weekend but did not specify if or how much they would play Friday or Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, also at Acrisure Arena.
“We’re still talking through what minutes and rotations look like — we have a general idea of what that looks like for all of preseason, but trying to figure out what makes the most sense,” Redick said after practice at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo. “Our framework for a plan is based on real time and on how these guys feel.”
Friday’s game will mark the NBA preseason debut of James’ oldest son Bronny, who the Lakers chose with the 55th selection in June’s NBA draft after averaging 4.8 points per game in his lone season at USC.
The younger James played 490 minutes over 25 games with six starts for the Trojans. The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound guard missed the first eight games of the season while recovering from a medical procedure to treat a congenital heart defect.
The Lakers’ 21-player preseason roster consists of 14 players who played for the team last season, two drafted rookies — Bronny James and guard Dalton Knecht, the 17th overall selection — three players with NBA experience signed during the offseason — guards Jordan Goodwin and Quincy Olivari and center Christian Koloko — and two undrafted rookies — center Kylor Kelley and forward Armel Traore.
The game marks Redick’s unofficial debut as the Lakers’ coach. He was hired in June to replace Darvin Ham, who was fired four days after his second season as coach ended with a loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
The 40-year-old Redick’s only coaching experience is with his son’s youth team.
“My motivations for doing this, it starts with a very simple foundation of service,” Redick said at his introductory news conference in June. “I think about the greatest moments, especially towards the end of my career, was about helping players, and so it starts with the desire to serve players, to serve the Lakers organization, to serve our fans.
“It’s also about competition and performance. Collaboration. Leadership. These are the things that drive me and they will all be important as I build out my staff.”
Redick is the Lakers’ seventh permanent coach since Phil Jackson’s retirement following the 2010-11 season — Bernie Bickerstaff served a five-game stint as interim coach during the 2012-13 season — and fourth since LeBron James signed with the team in 2018.