Knee swelling keeps Bronny out of Lakers lineup

Rookie Bronny James will be held out of Sunday’s California Classic summer league game in San Francisco because of trace swelling in his left knee, a Los Angeles Lakers spokesperson confirmed to ESPN.

Keeping James out of Sunday’s game vs. the Golden State Warriors — the second day of a back-to-back — is considered precautionary. James is expected to play in Wednesday’s final Classic game against the Miami Heat.

In James’ summer league debut Saturday against the Sacramento Kings, the No. 55 pick in last month’s draft scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes.

“He’s just got to keep learning, keep getting reps and learning how much he’s capable of,” Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson said after Saturday’s game. “Like, his body, he can get downhill if he uses his shoulder if he has a little bit of an advantage on somebody. And just building that confidence into him.”

The Lakers are prioritizing giving James as many reps as possible through the remainder of summer league, both in San Francisco and then in Las Vegas beginning later this week.