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LA Lakers signing Marcus Smart will fulfill Bronny James’ wish that LeBron James revealed, ‘it always shows up’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 1:00 PM ET

With the Los Angeles Lakers inching closer to signing Marcus Smart, it will be good news for Bronny James.

Despite being the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the media placed enormous expectations on the shoulders of Bronny James.

Why? Well, he is the elder son of NBA legend LeBron James. While Bronny struggled to play well during his rookie year, he has shown impressive growth ahead of his second year in the league.

Bronny has had multiple standout performances in the 2025 NBA Summer League. Now, the Lakers can make life easier for James Jr. by signing Marcus Smart.

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Bronny James wanted to have a career like Marcus Smart

The Lakers are reportedly a consolidation trade away from officially signing Smart, who reportedly completed his buyout with the Washington Wizards.

Smart’s addition will improve the Lakers on the defensive end of the floor. In addition, it will have a nice passive impact on Bronny.

How? Well, before getting drafted into the NBA, LeBron told JJ Redick how his eldest son wanted to become a Smart-like player in the league.

“I wanted him to figure it out on his own, where he sees himself fitting in the NBA or what his [comparison] look like. [He mentioned] guys like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, a few other guys, Marcus Smart, Davion Mitchell,” James said in a 2024 episode of the Mind the Game podcast.

He added: “These are guys who come in and for a team that’s trying to win a championship, a team that wants to win every night. These are the players that you have to have on your team.

“Because it doesn’t always show up in the box scores, but it always shows up in the winning plays.”

Well, all signs point to the Lakers welcoming Smart to the team. Once the move is official, Bronny will have a chance to be mentored under Smart, and it will be exciting to see how much he can improve next season.

Bronny James vs Marcus Smart comparison

Today, Smart is viewed as one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. He also won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022.

So, there’s no doubt that the 31-year-old will be an incredible addition to the Lakers. And let’s not forget Smart was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game during his rookie year.

Now, coming to Bronny. Sure, he has always been viewed as a talented defender, but as far as being compared to Smart, the difference is wide.

For starters, James Jr. was a late second-round pick. Moreover, he averaged just 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game during his rookie year.

At the end of the day, Bronny may want to become like Smart, but it’s easier said than done.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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