Report of Bronny James’ enhanced role with Lakers next season ignites fan chatter: "11 seed if they try it"

Bronny James didn’t have a great rookie season for the LA Lakers in 2024-25. While he was always seen as a project for the future, the criticism didn’t stop because of his relationship with LeBron James.

Bronny spent most of the season in the G League and only played 27 games for the Lakers. He averaged just 2.3 points, 0.8 assists and 0.7 blocks in 6.7 minutes per game. Those aren’t impressive numbers by any margin.

However, according to an anonymous NBA executive, he is expected to be a “regular” in the Lakers' rotation for the upcoming season.

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The report wasn’t met very kindly by Lakers fans as they took to the comments section to troll Bronny James.

While most fans were outright sarcastic and took it upon themselves to troll the youngster, a few fans believed Bronny showed enough development in his first year to deserve a bigger role.

Irrespective of how fans feel, Lakers coach JJ Redick constantly reminded fans that Bronny wasn't expected to have an immediate impact and needed to focus on developing his game as a rookie. With the coach's backing and an offseason ahead, there's no reason why Bronny cannot have a breakout season in 2025-26.

What did the executive say about Bronny James?

According to a report by Athlon Sports, an anonymous Western Conference executive spoke about Bronny James’ future with the LA Lakers for the upcoming season. The exec said, via Lakers Daily:

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that’s their plan. 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.”

While it might be questionable if James had made enough improvement by the end of the season to warrant a regular spot in the rotation, there’s no denying that he was a far better player in comparison to when he started.

The anonymous executive emphasized James’ development over the year and how he defended the perimeter and shot 3-pointers. If James can continue to play at a similar level, the exec believes the sophomore guard will be a “regular” for “10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him.”

About the author

Rajdeep Barman is a U.S. Sports Editor at Sportskeeda and occasionally writes about basketball. He studied journalism at Mizzou, and prior to working at Sportskeeda, he spent 2.5 years at the Columbia Missourian in the U.S.

He worked as an Assistant Sports Editor and helped cover Mizzou Athletics and local high school sports. There, he formed close professional and personal bonds with The Denver Post's Bennett Durando, OKC Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi and Alabama beat writer Nick Kelly.

Rajdeep's interest in the NBA stems from his love for the Golden State Warriors and his appreciation of the team's distinctive playing style, heavily influenced by coach Steve Kerr's inspiration from Barcelona's Tiki-Taka. For Rajdeep, basketball is a platform that fosters community and brings people together.

Rajdeep stays in constant touch with some of the best beat writers in the NBA, which helps him learn and stay closer to the news. Being trained in the AP Handbook, he ensures highest levels of relevance, accuracy and ethics in his content.

When not working for Sportskeeda, he likes to travel, take quizzes and spend time with his partner.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman