LOOK: Bronny James GF Parker Whitfield Soaks Up The Sun On A Golf Course With LeBron James & Family 5 Feb 20, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates victory over the Portland Trail Blazers with his son guard Bronny James (9) at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers: Rival Exec Predicts New Role for Bronny James in the 2025-26 Season

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 9:08 AM ET

After spending much of his rookie season going back and forth between playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and the G-League, Bronny James could crack the team’s rotation in 2025-26.

One Western Conference exec believes this will happen because he thinks James has improved immensely, especially after overcoming his health scare during his time with the USC Trojans not too long ago.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that’s their plan. I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we’ve seen a lot fo tape on (Bronny) and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July,” the exec said via Athlon Sports’ Sean Deveney.

Los Angeles Lakers: Rival Exec Predicts New Role for Bronny James in the 2025-26 Season 2 Jan 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) defends on the court during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“He’s 20 years old. He had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter and he showed he can shoot the 3. If he can show that wasn’t a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him,” he added.

Bronny James’ first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers

Bronny and LeBron James made history during the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA regular season match.

Caitlin Clark Outshines Bronny James In A Popularity Record 1 Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

However, since then, the younger James rarely played for the Purple and Gold, averaging only 2.3 points on 31.3 percent shooting in 6.7 minutes across 27 regular season appearances.

The 20-year-old combo guard did well in the G-League, though, as he averaged 21.9 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting and 38.0 percent from three-point range with the South Bay Lakers.