After an encouraging 2024-25 rookie season, first-year Los Angeles Lakers point guard Bronny James could have a bigger role with the team next year.
Bronny, the eldest son of 21-time All-Star Lakers power forward LeBron James, was the controversial No. 55 pick in last summer’s 2024 NBA Draft by L.A.
During a guest appearance on Bucks Plus Audio’s “Hear District” podcast, Dave McMenamin of ESPN submitted that the 6-foot-2 USC product’s play has been trending so positively that he may even crack head coach JJ Redick’s rotation at some point in 2025-26.
What’s next for Bronny next season? @mcten broke down how Bronny could crack the Lakers rotation in a new episode of Hear District on @BucksPlusAudio
https://t.co/t1q2uKhsSV pic.twitter.com/aa5MIiQz7c
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) May 15, 2025
“I think he could be a rotation player by mid-season next year if he continues this trajectory,” McMenamin posited. “He’s a [20-year-old] kid coming back from a [cardiac arrest]. He is just developing as a person, let alone [as] a basketball player. It’s not like he can go off somewhere in the shadows and do his work. He’s in the spotlight every single moment, and he found a way to push through it and had a very successful G League season.”
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Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest the summer before his one-and-done freshman NCAA season with the Trojans, but made a full recovery and wound up joining his teammates in games a month into the 2023-24 collegiate season.
Bronny put up modest numbers in college and Summer League, but finally rounded into form during the NBAGL’s regular season in 2024-25, where he played far more meaningful minutes than he did with the Lakers.
Across 11 regular season contests for the South Bay Lakers — L.A.’s G League affiliate — this past season, the younger James logged averages of 21.9 points on .443/.380/.815 shooting splits, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals a night.
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“Certainly his outside shot needs work, because he’s going to have to consistently hit the three to get minutes with this group, especially with Luka [Doncic] and LeBron being able to spread the ball out to shooters,” McMenamin said. “He’s an elite athlete, but his motor isn’t always in your face. When he uses his athleticism to hawk the ball, to get in the passing lanes, to go and take a charge, to have a chasedown block, he can really impact the game defensively, too.”
James played sparingly for the Los Angeles Lakers proper, appearing for mop-up minutes in just 27 contests. In 6.7 minutes per, James averaged 2.3 points on .313/.281/.786 shooting splits, along with 0.8 assists and 0.7 rebounds.
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