The Los Angeles Lakers started Nick Smith Jr. over Bronny James with Luka Doncic and Gabe Vincent out against the Suns on Tuesday night. Yes, that is the same Smith Jr. who the Hornets cut in September before his rookie contract expired. The Lakers signed him to a two-way deal, but he is more trusted than Bronny at this point.
It was a baffling decision. Smith Jr. has a negative-2.0 value over replacement player for his career. He is a bucket-getter who struggles mightily on defense. The Lakers had LeBron James in the lineup. Austin Reaves was on a minute limit after missing the previous three games, but the Lakers really needed defense and floor spacing around the two healthy stars. Smith Jr. doesn’t fit that mold, but head coach JJ Redick chose him over LeBron's son.
The Suns dominated the Lakers, which allowed Bronny to get in with nine minutes remaining and finish the contest. He was not trusted when the outcome was in doubt. Coach Redick had to decide between Smith Jr., Bronny, or playing someone out of position at the one. He went with Smith Jr. as the starter and pieced it together with Reaves as the primary ball-handler in the second unit. Bronny didn’t get even an opportunity.
Lakers don’t want to play Bronny James at all
This situation keeps getting worse for the 21-year-old. He is only trusted in blowouts and hasn’t played more than ten minutes in an NBA game since Nov. 8. Bronny got a few chances early in the season with multiple players out, but that isn’t the case now.
The Lakers have been without multiple guards for the last three games. Bronny played just nine garbage-time minutes in those contests. He has played in six G League games, but his stats with South Bay paint a more terrifying picture.
LeBron’s son is on the 15-man roster with a guaranteed contract. There is just $1.2 million for sure coming in the 2026-27 season, and the Lakers will have to think hard about locking in the full deal. Bronny has been so bad thus far that coach Redick doesn’t trust him unless the game is decided.
The 6’2 guard is averaging 1.7 points, 1.5 assists, and 0.6 steals in 9.0 minutes per game over 15 contests with the purple and gold. Sadly, most of Bronny’s minutes have come in mop-up duty, where he has played against the opposition’s deep rotation players. It is certainly not ideal for the fan favorite.
It is fair to question if Bronny would even be on the team if not for his famous father. The Lakes keep proving they don’t trust the younger James. If the statement wasn’t clear in Tuesday’s loss to the Suns, look at the countless other examples of Bronny not being part of the rotation even with multiple players sidelined.
Head coach JJ Redick was looking for any possible spark during a nightmare performance against the Suns, but he didn’t go to Bronny until he was waving the white flag. He clearly doesn’t trust him, which could put LeBron’s son on the chopping block before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers want to compete for the championship and desperately need more depth. Expect Rob Pelinka to explore ways to add it. Bronny James isn’t untouchable. With the team not trusting him, it could be time to move on.