Bronny James Could Have Much Larger Role With Lakers in 2025: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
After an encouraging 2024-25 rookie season, first-year Los Angeles Lakers point guard Bronny James could have a bigger role with the team next year.
Bronny, the eldest son of 21-time All-Star Lakers power forward LeBron James, was the controversial No. 55 pick in last summer's 2024 NBA Draft by L.A.
During a guest appearance on Bucks Plus Audio's "Hear District" podcast, Dave McMenamin of ESPN submitted that the 6-foot-2 USC product's play has been trending so positively that he may even crack head coach JJ Redick's rotation at some point in 2025-26.
What's next for Bronny next season?
@mcten broke down how Bronny could crack the Lakers rotation in a new episode of Hear District on @BucksPlusAudio ➡️ https://t.co/t1q2uKhsSV pic.twitter.com/aa5MIiQz7c — ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) May 15, 2025
"I think he could be a rotation player by mid-season next year if he continues this trajectory," McMenamin posited. "He's a [20-year-old] kid coming back from a [cardiac arrest]. He is just developing as a person, let alone [as] a basketball player. It's not like he can go off somewhere in the shadows and do his work. He's in the spotlight every single moment, and he found a way to push through it and had a very successful G League season."
More Los Angeles Lakers News: Lakers Hold Private Meeting With Luka Doncic as Contract Rumors Swirl
Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest the summer before his one-and-done freshman NCAA season with the Trojans, but made a full recovery and wound up joining his teammates in games a month into the 2023-24 collegiate season.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 17: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers after making a three-point shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 17, 2025...
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 17: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers after making a three-point shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. More
Photo byBronny put up modest numbers in college and Summer League, but finally rounded into form during the NBAGL's regular season in 2024-25, where he played far more meaningful minutes than he did with the Lakers.
Across 11 regular season contests for the South Bay Lakers — L.A.'s G League affiliate — this past season, the younger James logged averages of 21.9 points on .443/.380/.815 shooting splits, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals a night.
More Los Angeles Lakers News: Lakers Have Major LeBron James Problem Heading Into Offseason
"Certainly his outside shot needs work, because he's going to have to consistently hit the three to get minutes with this group, especially with Luka [Doncic] and LeBron being able to spread the ball out to shooters," McMenamin said. "He's an elite athlete, but his motor isn't always in your face. When he uses his athleticism to hawk the ball, to get in the passing lanes, to go and take a charge, to have a chasedown block, he can really impact the game defensively, too."
James played sparingly for the Los Angeles Lakers proper, appearing for mop-up minutes in just 27 contests. In 6.7 minutes per, James averaged 2.3 points on .313/.281/.786 shooting splits, along with 0.8 assists and 0.7 rebounds.
More Los Angeles Lakers News:
Lakers' LeBron James Predicted to Opt Out
Magic Johnson Wants Former MVP to Join Lakers
Lakers' LeBron James Makes Major Announcement After Suffering Knee Injury
For more Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Magic's 2009 Finals vs. Lakers Makes Hypothetical NBA List
Magic's 2009 Finals vs. Lakers Makes Hypothetical NBA List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Orlando Magic have shown that they have a bright future with their young core of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. However, the Magic were contenders for the NBA championship during the late 2000s. The organization even reached the NBA Finals in 2009 and battled against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Advertisement Orlando had a promising postseason run that year. In the first round, they beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. That was followed by a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in the second round. Upon reaching the Eastern Conference finals, the Magic faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James. Orlando outplayed Cleveland in six games to advance to the Finals. Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Amway Klement-Imagn Images With the 2025 NBA Finals underway, Bleacher Report's Matt Velasquez released 15 of the biggest "What-Ifs" since 2000. Surprisingly, the Magic's Game 4 performance against the Lakers made it to the list. The Magic were up 87-84 with 11.1 seconds left. Their franchise star at that time, Dwight Howard, was on the line to shoot two free throws. However, Howard isn't the most reliable player when it comes to shooting from the line, as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year shot 59.4% during the 2008-09 season. Advertisement Howard missed both shots, and the Lakers got the basketball. With 4.6 seconds left, Los Angeles' point guard Derek Fisher shot a 3-pointer and sent the game to overtime. The Magic dealt with a 99-91 defeat and fell to 3-1. Orlando couldn't overcome the deficit and lost the series in five games. "But what if Howard had made one (or both) of those free throws and helped the Magic hold on? Then the series would have been tied at two games apiece with Game 5 in Orlando. Had the series been even at that point, there's no telling what could have happened," Velasquez wrote. The Magic couldn't capture what they had that year and were eliminated in the conference finals the following year. The next two seasons were underwhelming as they were eliminated in the first round. Advertisement This also led to the eventual breakup of Howard and the Magic. Related: Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Lakers' LeBron James Strongly Urged to Retire By Former NBA Big Man
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has put together a career that places him on the "GOAT" list to many. At the very least, he's a legitimate contender to the title and the only other name on that list is Michael Jordan. It is expected that James will make his return for another season in 2025-26. He is still playing at a high level and would have a full season playing with Luka Doncic next year. He has played in 22 NBA season to this point in his career. Should he play next year, he would officially hold the record for most seasons played in the league. Right now, he is tied with Vince Carter for that record. LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24,... LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. More Photo byWhile James is expected to return for year 23, one former NBA big man does not think he should keep playing. Read more: NBA Analyst Floats Knicks Theory Regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd During an appearance with Byron Scott on the "Fast Break" podcast, Olden Polynice spoke out with a pointed statement about James. He believes that it's time for the longtime superstar to call it a career. "The longevity aspect, I think it's getting a little bit too much now," Polynice said. "Because I'm like, dude, what else you want to do? It's time for you (James) to start thinking about retiring. He ain't getting no fifth ring unless he buys one, It ain't happening." Granted, there is obvious proof that James has started slowing down some. However, he is still putting up impressive numbers and making a massive impact night in and night out. Read more: Warriors Trade Idea Lands 2-Time All-Star in Massive Offseason Move Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA season, James played in 70 games. He averaged 24.4 points per game to go along with 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and a steal. In addition, he shot 51.3 percent from the floor and knocked down 37.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers will need to make some offseason moves to get back into NBA Finals contention. Los Angeles needs more defense and also needs a legitimate starting center. Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him. Polynice may be right that the Lakers aren't a favorite to win a championship, but James is more than capable of continuing to play for another year or two if he chooses to do so. It's an eye-opening take, but it's an opinion that many disagree with. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Chris Paul believes in Spurs, Victor Wembanyama future
The post Why Chris Paul believes in Spurs, Victor Wembanyama future appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs have a bright future, and they will be led by Victor Wembanyama for years to come. Everyone was excited to see what they would look like this previous season, but injuries doomed the team, and they ended up falling out of the playoff race. Chris Paul signed with the team last offseason, and he was recently on the Pat McAfee show to talk about their future. Advertisement 'Wemby is different. Being 7'4, able to move the way that he does,' Paul said. 'He just loves the game. He loves to hoop. I think the Spurs are going to be great. You have Harrison Barnes who's a great vet, they brought in De'Aaron Fox.' With Fox in the picture for the Spurs, they now have a dynamic duo who will be the cornerstones for the team. They also have young players such as Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Stephon Castle who could play a big part in their success. To add on to them trending upwards, they have the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, and they could go in a lot of directions on what they'd like to do with the pick. The future seems to be bright, and everyone should be watching out for them for years to come. Spurs believe the future is bright Not only does Paul believe that the Spurs' future is bright, but Barnes also had some great things to say about the team. Advertisement 'The future is bright. This young group has is one of the more talented groups that I've been a part of, and I've been a part of some pretty good teams,' Barnes said. 'Now, hopefully, I'm not retired by the time all this talent has been realized, but the future's very bright for Spurs fans, so they should be excited.' Barnes is under contract for one more season, and he can continue to be the vet that the team needs. This offseason will be crucial, as they can continue to build the young core, or they can go for a big star. The two names that have been mentioned as possible targets for the Spurs are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, and they have the pieces to pull off a trade. If they were to land either one of those players, their ceiling would immediately rise, and they could become one of the better teams in the Western Conference sooner rather than later. Related: Spurs' 10 best NBA Draft Day moves in history Related: NBA news: Chris Paul shuts down Hornets-Lakers trade conspiracy
