Bronny James apparently has a bright future with the Lakers.
One Western Conference exec said the Lakers are all-in on integrating LeBron James’ 20-year-old son into their regular rotation next season, according to Athlon Sports.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that’s their plan,” the executive said. “I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we’ve seen a lot of tape on [Bronny] and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July… He is going to be a regular for them next year.”
The exec mentioned that Bronny — the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — flashed some real potential in his rookie season after falling behind in his development due to a heart condition suffered before his freshman year at USC.
“He’s 20 years old,” the exec said. “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. I think he is going to do all that. He is going to be a regular for them next year.”
Bronny struggled in Summer League and the beginning of his debut campaign with the Lakers.
In 27 NBA appearances, the guard averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 31.3 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent from three point range.
The younger James was back and forth from the Lakers to the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged 21.9 points, 44.3 percent shooting and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was adamant about Bronny’s growth and dedication to developing his game.
The Lakers’ season ended with a loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on April 30.
Bronny explained that it was a “blessing” to play with his father as they became the NBA’s first-ever father-son duo.
“Being able to learn from him, not only as a player, but as a dad. It’s a different type of relationship,” Bronny said, according to FOX Sports. “I try to take full advantage of it because it’s something that a lot of people can’t have. It was an amazing experience for me. And I’m looking forward to learning more from him, if he’s still here or not, either way. But I’m just looking forward to it.”
LeBron, 40, suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in the Lakers’ 103-96 season-ending loss to Minnesota — and questions about his playing future inevitably followed.
The four-time NBA champ has a $52.6 million player option that he could opt into to return next season for his 23rd campaign.