After a poor start to the regular season with just 12 minutes played and four points scored, the Los Angeles Lakers recently demoted Bronny James to the G League in an effort to give the young guard more on-court time to improve before being brought back up to the NBA ranks.
James was previously off the Coachella Valley Lakers’ G League roster, but with the 22-year-old still sitting on the bench in Los Angeles, and with recent buzz about a potential trade or him getting waived, it looks like LeBron James‘ son might be fighting to save his career in the NBA.
Recently, James was given a roadmap of several different things he could do to prove to the Lakers why he deserves to be a mainstay in the rotation, but after his G League demotion, the pressure has only mounted on the guard to prove himself as a player who can contribute to winning in LA.
Bronny James Gets Harsh Warning After G League Demotion
After the Lakers’ decision to move James down to the G League was announced, team writer Tyler Watts discussed what the player needed to do to show his NBA team why he still deserves playing time.
“James has struggled to handle the ball, make plays, and run the offense. Those are three essential skills for a point guard. Bronny can attack a shifting defense and create off that. Playing him off the ball makes the most sense,” he wrote. “That only works if James is an above-average 3-point shooter. He showed the potential last season, and simplifying his responsibilities could give Bronny the confidence to fire away. The 22-year-old needs to be a basketball player. Not a point guard or lead creator. Let him space the floor and give him the freedom to attack a hard closeout.”
Watts went on to say that James needs to take advantage of his time in the G League because the Lakers are ready to make a title run, and they won’t want him on the roster if he’s sitting on the end of the bench. Los Angeles needs all the help it can get, and so far this season, the young guard doesn’t fit the mold of someone who can help contribute to winning on a nightly basis.
“The 22-year-old should be one of the most talented players in the G League, but the Lakers can’t let him be Coachella Valley’s Luka Doncic. They don’t want Bronny dominating the ball and leading the team in shots. He will never be that player for the Lakers.”
In a previous article, Watts also urged James to do whatever it takes to regain Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s trust by proving he can hit shots and limit turnovers. So far, granted in a limited sample size, that hasn’t been the case, but it might be his best way to get back into the team’s rotation as the season goes on.
“Redick can’t even trust Bronny in garbage time. The 22-year-old is buried at the end of the bench and appears to be the 15th man on the roster,” he wrote. “Being unable to execute in garbage time is an even bigger problem. If Bronny can’t be trusted with the game virtually in hand, there is no way Redick will put him in the rotation. James has to step up whenever his number is called to earn that trust back.”
Watts also accurately predicted the Lakers sending James to the G League might be best for his performance. He’s put up strong numbers when on the team, but the pressure is on now for him to have some great performances for him to keep his spot on the team’s NBA roster.
Additionally, Colin Keane urged James to follow in the footsteps of Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell, who, on paper, has a very similar skill set to the young Lakers player.
““Mitchell has a lot in common with Bronny from a physical standpoint, which is one reason why this is a good comparison,” he discussed. “Mitchell is living evidence that small guards are not completely extinct in the NBA…The areas of improvement are mental toughness, confidence, and the aforementioned ball-handling/decision-making element.”
Just before James was sent back down to the G League, a decision that was previously unlikely after his Lakers contract was guaranteed this season, Dalton Knecht made a strong debut with the New York Knicks.
Los Angeles’ final roster spot battle was expected to be between James and Knecht, and after the latter’s strong first game in New York, the guard was the subject of online criticism as the two had completely different experiences in less than 24 hours.
Lakers Young Guard Might Be Fighting To Save His NBA Career
With James now in the G League amid some recent reports about his status on the Lakers’ roster, it’s fair to say he’s fighting to keep his NBA career alive.
As Bleacher Report writers stated before the season began, the young guard already had a brutal outlook on where he stood in Los Angeles’ rotation, a thought that has only become more realistic after his extremely limited playing time through the team’s first nine games of the year.
“By now, whether his coaches or front office have told him or not (surely, they have), Bronny should know that his NBA survival is heavily dependent on his ability to handle the basketball. Whatever amount of time he’s poured into it, it doesn’t appear to have been enough,” Andy Bailey wrote.
“The reality is that James is unlikely to see significant minutes. Dončić, Reaves, Grimes and Sexton can all handle playmaking duties, and mixing and matching the team’s various wing options will likely be a bigger priority than getting James much work in the rotation,” Timothy Rapp added.
“I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices.”
James has 11 points and 12 turnovers in four preseason games so far.
Redick now feels comfortable speaking honestly
“While James making the roster over Knecht may feel like a vote of confidence from head coach JJ Redick and the front office, it’s just as likely that the Lakers felt Knecht was no longer a fit and needed a change of scenery.”
Even Watts, who has been at the forefront of reporting on James’ status, suggested it might be time for the Lakers to move on from him before the season began.
“Bronny is in his third NBA season. His jumper took a significant step forward last year, but the preseason has everyone wondering if that was a fluke. James isn’t a point guard. If he’s not making shots, the Lakers need to move on from Bronny,” he wrote after the franchise picked him over Knecht.
“Bronny is 22 years old. There is still time and room to grow, but the Lakers can’t wait forever. They have a $2.4 million team option for the 2027-28 season. If they exercise it, James becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028. It is now or never for Bronny to earn a rotation spot, and his disastrous preseason gave the Lakers the answer. It is time to move on.”
Top Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has said multiple times that waiving James might be the best way for the team to add either a new point guard or center, as it’s become clear he is sitting outside the rotation and not the type of player Redick can trust in crucial moments.
“Whatever they decide, I think something has to happen soon because they can’t keep playing this current rotation,” he said on his show, Buha’s Block. “Then it’s Hardy or Bronny. And then I think they’re gonna try to flip Hardy. So Bronny is the one who’s only making a couple million that they could potentially waive.”
“They’re in a situation where, at a minimum, I think you gotta change the two-way spots and bring in a big who can play, but potentially you do that with the back end of the roster.”
James is currently in the G League, with the Coachella Valley Lakers’ season set to begin on Friday night. If he plays, it might be his best shot at proving to Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka that he deserves a roster spot.
If he doesn’t show much, this could very well be the start of the end for James’ career in Los Angeles, or in the NBA entirely.
Lakers Bronny James Gets Harsh Warning To Save His Career After G League Demotion