2024-25 Los Angeles Lakers Player Review: Bronny James

The Los Angeles Lakers have a knack for storylines and making history and they managed to strike again when they took Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Bronny was considered a borderline NBA prospect following a challenging freshman year at USC. He spent most of his time trying to recover from the cardiac arrest situation he experienced during a summer practice session, needing to regain his stamina and endurance.

While Bronny never quite looked like himself with the Trojans, the Lakers still took a swing on him late in the draft. The move seemed to be an obvious way to appease LeBron James, who had been open about his dream of playing with his son and Los Angeles happily obliged considering the Bronny’s draft class was shallower compared to other years.

Bronny got his first taste of NBA action when he played for the Lakers’ Summer League squad, displaying defensive flashes and some athleticism, though he mostly looked overmatched. It was clear that James would need more time to develop throughout the 2024-25 season, but it didn’t stop fans for criticizing the Lakers for reaching on a player who couldn’t help right away.

Head coach JJ Redick helped L.A. and LeBron make history when he inserted Bronny and LeBron into the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Opening Night, drawing a raucous reaction from the crowd. While Bronny failed to make an impact in his first official NBA game, it was a sight to see him check in alongside LeBron.

Bronny eventually made his way to the G League as a member of the South Bay Lakers and he began to steadily develop behind the scenes. Bronny got some playing time with the parent team later in the year and looked steadier overall, a positive sign for the young guard. While he didn’t make much of an impact at the NBA level during his rookie season, the strides and improvements he made at the G League level were significant and on par with what can be expected from a late second-round pick, leaving optimism heading into the future.

2024-25 Highlight

The Lakers were incredibly shorthanded for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron were unavailable, opening up more minutes for Bronny.

Bronny came off the bench, but turned in by far his best performance as he recorded 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and and one block in just under 30 minutes. He later called it the highlight of his rookie season.

2025-26 Outlook

For stretches of 2025 Las Vegas Summer League, Bronny James looked like the best player on the court. While he is proving he belongs in the NBA, he’ll likely spend more time developing in South Bay given the parent team’s upgraded roster. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him called up midseason to soak up some minutes.