Dwayne Wade Gives Honest Opinion On Bronny James' Development With Los Angeles Lakers

“I think what the clutch has done, what Rich has done, what his father has done, is they haven't rushed his process. And so, people already want to rush Bronny’s process and say, is he going to be a rotation player for the Lakers right now? Bronny don’t need to be a rotation player for the Lakers right now. He needs to continue to keep developing,” Wayde said.

“His play going to show you when he’s going to, when that step is going to come, but it may not be this year neither. He still has to develop,” Wayne said.

During Monday’s game against the Lakers, James had 24 minutes of game action, scoring 19 points. He shot 60 percent from the field and made three of five three-point attempts. The former USC Trojans also finished the game with five rebounds and five assists. 

James had an up-and-down rookie season with the Lakers, splitting his time between the NBA and the G League. What helped James the most in the G League with the South Bay Lakers was the consistent playing time. The former USC Trojans guard played 11 games with the team, starting in each of them.

As shown in the G League, the more consistent minutes that James earns, the more he develops. James has played four games with the Lakers this summer, and with each matchup, he takes another step forward. The former Trojan has shown his skills on defense, and now with shooting as well.

“He’s developing so fast in front of our eyes, bro. It’s not a slow development. And so, but stop putting pressure on him,” Wayde continued. “He’s doing an incredible job of putting the work in and just not even shutting everybody up because it’s not about everybody, but just like proving himself so right in front of the world.”

Since the 2024 NBA Draft, when the Los Angeles Lakers selected James in the second round, the former USC Trojans guard has faced immense pressure. There were arguments made that James was only in the league because of his father, Lakers’ star forward LeBron James.

Throughout the 2024-2025 season, whether it was a good game or a bad one, the former Trojans guard was a topic of conversation. Already being seen throughout the summer league, James is entering his second season with more confidence, which is helping his game. 

Ahead of the summer league, James discussed playing with less nerves and blocking out the outside noise. Though it took a couple of games, the improvement this summer is being seen in part due to his boost in confidence.

James has the chance to earn a larger role with the team next season as a rational piece, and as long as he continues to develop, he will continue to have better games and prove he belongs in the NBA.

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