It appears that Bronnie James has taken a big step towards his development, and the Los Angeles Lakers may have to change their plans based on his success.
When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronnie James to No. 55 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, it was clear that the Lakers chose him to appease his father, LeBron James.
At the time, LeBron and the Lakers appeared to be in excellent conditions, and the addition of Bronnie made it even more clear that James was at the heart of the Lakers’ plans. A few months later, LA added Luka Donsic in the blockbuster trade, who took James as the face of the franchise.
As a result, Elder James was the subject of trade speculation, and the first assumption was that Bronnie, who had a rather unforgettable rookie season, would be traded with his father.
But Bronnie was successful with the Lakers summer league team, and he may have established himself as a valuable piece, ruining years of assumptions.
Most of Bronny’s 27 appearances in the NBA last season were just photoshoots for the Lakers to sell tickets or create viral moments.
His statistics reflected that. He had shown some promises as his 55th choice was low from the start, but he was barely in the rotation.
Bronnie and Cooper Flag were two of the most famous players in the 2025 Summer League, and while Flag overtook him, Bronnie was able to show enough improvements 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 become a Lakers star next season, but he appears to be proving his worth as a bench player, especially on the defensive side. His shooting wants a lot, but he managed to become a productive player.
LeBron James is a rare NBA player with a complete no-trade clause in the contract. So, even if he and the Lakers decide to break up, he can tell where to go.
The Lakers and the NBA world previously operated under the assumption that LeBron would bring Bronnie. Bronnie owes about $2 million per season over the next three years, so it’s not too difficult to throw him in trade.
However, the Lakers may not want to break up with him. He is a solid facilitator and has the ability to become a above average defender, and at just 20 years old, his scores can easily continue to improve.
Bronnie is one of two players for the Lakers under 23, and as Los Angeles pivots to build around Don Sic, the young, affordable defender is exactly the type of player he wants to stay in town.