Bronny James is heading into his third season in the NBA, and the spotlight remains on him, especially after his father, LeBron James, left the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. The younger James was a controversial selection, being picked by the Lakers 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, and while his father is no longer on the team, the pressure is mounting on the 21-year-old to prove himself as a rotation player in the league. James has spent time back and forth in the NBA and G League, and though his name has been floated in trade rumors, he appears to be staying in Los Angeles for next season.
As two writers recently explained, he has a big task in front of him with the Lakers next season. Writing for LakeShowLife.com, Svyatoslav Rovenchuk tabbed Bronny James as one of the players on the Lakers roster with the most to prove this upcoming year. Through his first two NBA seasons, in just 69 total games, James has averaged 2.7 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 37.4% shooting.
But now, under the shadow of his father, the son of the league’s all-time leading scorer has greater expectations than at any other point in his career. There are many still out there who do not believe the young Lakers guard is an NBA-caliber player. Some will still argue that his roster spot is being wasted. The Lakers clearly believe in Bronny to a fair degree, as they did not budge to move him in the wake of LeBron James’ departure from the team.
Before his father left the Lakers, the team guaranteed the third year of James’ rookie contract, meaning that he’s still on the payroll regardless of whether he’s on the first team, playing in the G-League, or waived. With that, and the fact that Los Angeles didn’t trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers or any other team, it likely means they want to see what they have in the guard this season.
The NBA is a brutal business, and if James doesn’t perform, his time in the league could be cut short, especially as the Lakers share championship hopes this upcoming season. The Lakers also added talent in the offseason, subsequently pushing James down the depth chart. Ahead of him in the backcourt are Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, and potentially rookie Cameron Carr.
This season will be the last guaranteed year of James’ rookie contract, while the final year is a team option held by the Lakers, who will be able to use this season as a litmus test for the young player’s potential. There’s no question about the young player’s work ethic, so the hope for James and the Lakers is that he’ll continue to improve in his third season with the purple-and-gold to secure a long-term future in Los Angeles.
