Bronny James appears to have taken a massive step in his development, and the Los Angeles Lakers might have to change their plans based on his success.
When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny James 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, it was clear that the Lakers picked him simply to appease his father, LeBron James.
At the time, LeBron and the Lakers seemed to be on excellent terms, and the addition of Bronny only made it more clear that James was the centerpiece of the Lakers’ plans. Months later, LA would add Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade, and he would usurp James as the face of the franchise.
As a result, the elder James has been subject of trade speculation, and the initial assumption was that Bronny, who had a rather forgettable rookie season, would be traded with his father.
However, Bronny had success with the Lakers’ Summer League team, and he may have established himself as a valuable piece, ruining a long-held assumption.
The vast majority of Bronny’s 27 appearances in the NBA last season were little more than photo ops for the Lakers to sell tickets or create viral moments.
His stats reflected that. While the expectations, as the 55th pick, were low to begin with, he was barely in the rotation, although he did show some promise.
Bronny and Cooper Flagg were the two most famous players in the 2025 Summer League, and while Flagg outplayed him, Bronny managed to show enough improvement to silence most of his critics.
| Span | PPG | APG | RPG | SPG | FG% | 3PT% |
| 2024 Summer League | 7.0 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 32.7% | 13.0% |
| 2025 Summer League | 11.5 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 44.4% | 29.6% |
| 2024-25 G League Season | 21.9 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 44.3% | 38.0% |
| 2024-25 NBA Season | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 31.3% | 28.1% |
James is not expected to be a star for the Lakers next season, although he seems to have proven his value as a bench player, especially on the defensive end. While his shooting leaves a lot to be desired, he could end up being a productive player.
LeBron James is the rare NBA player with a complete no-trade clause in his contract, so even if he and the Lakers decide to part ways, he can dictate where he ends up.
The Lakers and NBA world previously operated under the assumption that LeBron would bring Bronny with him. Bronny is owed roughly $2 million per season across the next three years, so tossing him in a trade wouldn’t be too hard.
However, the Lakers might not want to part with him. He has shown an ability to be a solid facilitator and above-average defender, and at only 20 years old, the scoring could easily continue to improve.
Bronny is one of only two players on the Lakers under 23 years old, and as Los Angeles pivots to build around Doncic, a young, affordable defender is exactly the type of player they would want to keep in town, so even if LeBron decides to end his career elsewhere, Bronny might remain with the Purple and Gold.
