The Los Angeles Lakers have shown some faith in Bronny James, but it is time for him to take the next step. The 21-year-old must work his way into the rotation, but James is an undersized point guard without the skills to play that position. He is a 6’2 off-guard with a questionable jumper and far from lockdown defense. The Lakers don’t really know where to play him, which makes it difficult to cleanly fit him into the nightly rotation.
LeBron James joined the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Lakers clearly wanted to keep Bronny. The young guard enters his third NBA season. He is set to make $2.2 million this year and has a $2.4 million team option for the 2027-28 season. Bronny will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028 if he’s not extended. It puts the pressure on to quickly crack the rotation if he wants to stay with the Lakers.
Head coach JJ Redick viewed Bronny as a TJ McConnell or Davion Mitchell-type player in 2025, but even those comps don’t work. James is taller than both players and has a missing skill that leaves James without a true position.
Bronny James lacks the playmaking to be a backup point guard
McConnell averages 5.0 assists per game for his career. Mitchell keeps improving his playmaking and dished out 6.5 per game last season for the Miami Heat. Bronny has a small NBA sample that mostly comes in mop-up duty, but he averaged just 4.9 assists per 36 minutes last season. Mitchell was at 8.2, and McConnell put up 10.7.
James can’t become either of the players Redick wants him to without making plays. He is an undersized point guard. The Lakers can’t afford to play him at the two, even if he becomes a plus-shooter.
Even in the G League, Bronny has put up just 5.1 assists per 36 minutes over 38 games. That is against lesser competition where the 21-year-old should be the offensive focal point. James is not a point guard or lead playmaker. He can find an open teammate, but he has not shown the ability to be the lead creator of a second unit.
The Lakers want the ball in the hands of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Rob Pelinka even signed Collin Sexton to be the sixth man. They clearly don’t think Bronny is ready to handle more ball-handling, playmaking, and shot creation responsibilities.
Bronny James’ defense becomes a larger weakness at the two
Redick’s vision was clear for Bronny. He wants him to be a relentless two-way player like McConnell and Mitchell. Someone who makes a defensive impact with tenacity and motor, despite being undersized.
The Lakers have seen none of this. They had a 117.1 defensive rating with Bronny on the floor last season. LA was 0.7 points per 100 possessions better without him, and producing that mark over the full season would have put the Lakers in the NBA's bottom ten. They would have been surrounded by tanking teams in that mix.
Pairing Bronny and Sexton puts James on plenty of score-first guards. The 21-year-old will struggle to guard wings like Dylan Harper, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and even Ajay Mitchell. His lack of size and tenacity makes it a virtually impossible assignment for Bronny.
The Lakers invested in the 21-year-old and are keeping him on their roster. They need him to find a role over the next two seasons. Los Angeles can’t re-sign Bronny to a new contract if he’s not contributing. Depth is more important than ever in the second apron era. The Lakers want to win a championship and can’t waste a roster on a guard that isn’t trending upward.
Bronny James is a player without a position. He is too small to be a two and doesn’t have the playmaking chops to thrive as a point guard. His lack of a true role and position has made it difficult for coach Redick to find consistent minutes for James. Bronny has never appeared in more than 42 games in a season and has yet to average more than 8.9 minutes per contest.
The Lakers must quickly figure it out. Bronny has to improve and cement himself in the rotation. Redick gave him the blueprint, but James isn’t following it. Bronny has an opportunity. That is all fans can ask for after his first two years. Now it is on the guard to adapt, or it will be time for the purple and gold to move on.
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