Bronny James may be getting a chance to (hypothetically) carve out his own path.
The Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny will not necessarily be following his father LeBron James to a new team, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported on Tuesday. Woike notes that Bronny is currently with the Lakers at their veteran minicamp that officially kicked off this week and adds that Bronny is, for the moment, expected to compete for minutes in the team’s backcourt next season.
Still only 21 years old, Bronny was drafted by the Lakers in 2024 back when his father LeBron was still on the team. Bronny has (understandably) had a hard time beating the nepotism allegations ever since then but may be getting his opportunity to prove himself now that LeBron officially will not be returning to the Lakers next season.
Last season for the Lakers, Bronny appeared in 42 total games for the Lakers, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists per game on 41/39/86 shooting splits. He also made 14 regular season appearances for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League, averaging 15.6 points and 3.7 assists per game on stellar 56/46/79 shooting splits.
Bronny’s defense is above average, his three-point shot has come around, and he even got a notable promotion from the Lakers at one point last season. But the jury is still out on whether or not Bronny (who is on a fully guaranteed $2.3 million contract with the Lakers for next season) belongs in the NBA on his own accord.
There was some talk earlier this month that one potential LeBron suitor was saving up a roster spot for Bronny just in case. But the best outcome for Bronny’s development at this point might indeed be if he stays on the Lakers away from the (admittedly enormous) shadow of his father.
