The Los Angeles Lakers are likely to make history early on in the NBA season by fielding a starting lineup featuring a father, LeBron James, and son, Bronny, for the first time, insider Shams Charania told The Pat McAfee Show.

Beyond that, the Lakers “don’t know his role on the team.”

Bronny is an unproven commodity. The second-generation Laker averaged only 4.8 points, 2.8 total rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his lone year at USC, during which he suffered a cardiac arrest in July of 2023.

Like any other rookie, he has yet to play a minute of live NBA ball and is not a sure-fire future star. He will be given opportunities, for sure, but the Lakers should take their time in developing him into the player he will become rather than rushing him onto the court based on his pedigree.

Charania noted that LeBron and Bronny have shared the court multiple times at the Lakers practice facility in preparation for them playing together but after that inevitable, historic moment, the team is open to exploring all possible avenues when it comes to the 2024 second-round pick.

The NBA’s G-League is the most obvious one.

The development and evolution of the 19-year-old will be essential to his success in the league his father has been the face of since 2003. One way to speed that up is to put him on the court against quality opponents who can push him and give him a taste of what he will experience on the hardwood.

His appearance in the NBA Summer League got off to a rough start as he shot 23.1 percent from the field and missed on all 12 of his shots from beyond the arc. Still, he improved significantly over the last two games, knocking down 10-of-21 shots for 25 points, and proved that there is skill and promise for the Lakers organization to work with.

Thrusting him into the spotlight and expecting him to run alongside his father, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and Co. would almost certainly set him up for failure. Letting him feel things out, develop his skills, and improve his overall performance on the court is the right call for a Lakers team that needs to look to the future as its top star’s playing days wane.

It is a move James is ready to take if it comes his way. “I’m just looking forward to any basketball I play, no matter what level I’m playing at,” he said over the summer, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Should the Lakers get the hoopla surrounding father and son sharing the court out of the way? Absolutely. The longer it takes to get to that point, the more that focus overshadows the team’s “win now” mentality in a tough Western Conference.

Take the pictures, post the highlights across social media, and rewrite the history books.

Then, focus energy on developing the younger James so the player can achieve his fullest potential and the organization as a future to turn to when his Hall of Fame-bound father calls it a career.