The Lakers sent LeBron James and rookie Karl down to the Development League.

The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced that guard Bronny James and first-round pick Cameron Karl have been assigned to their NBA G League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers.

At the start of the season, the Lakers had a strong 7-2 start, firmly placing them among the top teams in the Western Conference alongside the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. However, 22-year-old third-year guard LeBron James has had limited playing time in head coach JJ Redick's rotation.

So far this season, James has only played 5 games in garbage time when the outcome was already decided, averaging 2.4 minutes and 0.8 points per game. Compared to his struggles in the NBA, James' performance in the secondary league is quite convincing.

In the 25 games he played for the G League over the past two seasons, James averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds, with a field goal percentage of 49.6% and a three-point percentage of 41.3%.

With limited opportunities for competitive play, returning to the G League is seen as the best option for James to hone his skills and maintain his competitive form. James and Karl are expected to travel with the team for Friday's season opener at home against the Salt Lake City Stars.

It's worth noting that the Lakers' G League team has undergone a complete overhaul this season. The team has not only changed its name to the Coachella Valley Lakers, but has also moved its home arena to Acreshull Arena in the Palm Desert. Alex Cerda has taken over as head coach.

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