JJ Redick Announces Update on Bronny James’ Injury Ahead of Warriors-Lakers Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 8:32 AM ET

Key Points

Bronny James is entering his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He missed the final two preseason games due to an ankle injury.
On Sunday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided an update on James ahead of the season opener against the Golden State Warriors.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to tip off the NBA season on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Veteran forward LeBron James will be sidelined with sciatica, an absence expected to last a couple of weeks.

Outside of that, the Lakers should be mostly healthy, though rookie Adou Thiero will be reevaluated in a few weeks, and second-year guard Bronny James appears unlikely to play unless something changes in the next 24 hours. Head coach JJ Redick provided updates on Sunday evening, giving a mix of positive and cautionary news.

Redick noted that two-way guard Chris Mannon was a full participant in practice, while Thiero (knee) and James (ankle) were modified participants, via Lakers reporter Khobi Price.

JJ Redick says two-way guard Chris Mañon was a full participant in today's practice.

Bronny James (ankle) and Adou Thiero (knee) were modified participants.
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 19, 2025

Thiero has missed much of the offseason, including Summer League, while Bronny James had a promising showing this summer, seemingly taking another step forward after his rookie season.

However, he missed the final two preseason games with an ankle injury, and for him to be ready by Tuesday night, his practice status would need to change.

This season could be intriguing for the former USC Trojan. He’s shown flashes of being an effective NBA player, though those have been inconsistent. In the G League with the South Bay Lakers last season, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds, but he hasn’t yet translated that production to consistent NBA minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9). Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesKirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the Lakers’ current roster, Bronny could carve out a role off the bench in his second year, but starting the season injured will make that climb more challenging.

As of now, the expected starting lineup for head coach JJ Redick is Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton. Key contributors off the bench include Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knecht, and likely Maxi Kleber.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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