Lakers envision Bronny James as an 'elite two-way player'

While the optics of the Lakers drafting Bronny James screams of nepotism, the franchise's front-office head, Rob Pelinka, has stressed that LeBron James' son earned a roster sport on his own accord. 

In an interview with Spectrum SportsNet, Pelinka praised Bronny's intangibles and work ethic, calling the 19-year-old "a young man of high character" with the tools to be an elite two-way guard. Pelinka revealed that the new Lakers head coach, JJ Redick, is determined to help Bronny develop into the player they envision.  

"JJ Redick and his staff are already putting a plan around Bronny and how they want to develop him into an elite two-way player," Pelinka said. "He's 19 years old, so everyone has to be patient, but the foundations are there for him to be an important player for years to come."

While speaking to the media after the draft, Pelinka echoed similar views on Bronny's ability to grow into "a disruptive point-of-attack defender," and the type of 3-and-D specialist modern NBA teams covet.

Bronny, too, views himself as a player in that exact mold. After the NBA Draft Combine in May, the USC alum said he hopes to model his game after defensive-minded guards such as Davion Mitchell, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

After observing Bronny in high school and college, even NBA stars such as Paul George and Draymond Green made similar claims about his ceiling in the NBA. George went as far as to predict that Bronny would be "the steal of the 2024 draft" due to his ability to turn into an elite defensive player. 

Fans will get a first glimpse of Bronny in Lakers colors in the upcoming NBA Summer League. According to several insiders, he is expected to start the 2024-25 season with the Lakers' South Bay G-League affiliate. The Lakers are reportedly in no rush to fast-track him to the main 15-man roster.