The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a difficult roster decision before opening night, and Bronny James hasn’t exactly made a compelling case for more playing time.
Entering his third NBA season and first without his father, LeBron James, the 22-year-old guard has struggled through four preseason appearances, raising questions about his readiness to contribute to a team with championship ambitions.
California Post columnist Melissa Rohlin offered a pointed assessment Wednesday, arguing that James must show significant improvement if he wants to establish his own identity and secure a meaningful role in Los Angeles.
Through four preseason games, James is averaging 2.8 points and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes while shooting 26.7% from the field and 14.3% from the 3-point range.
He has also committed 12 turnovers against just 11 points scored.
Those numbers are particularly concerning considering coach JJ Redick has identified James as one of three players who could be called upon to handle backup point guard duties.
JJ Redick Sends Clear Message to Bronny James
Redick previously explained that James, Jaden Hardy and Chris Mañon would compete for ballhandling opportunities whenever Luka Doncic or Collin Sexton is unavailable.
“If you look at kind of like mapping out what a ball-handling rotation would look like, if one of Luka or Collin is not in the lineup, then one of Bronny James or Jaden or Chris is going to play because we need another ball-handler,” Redick told reporters.
That scenario became particularly relevant Tuesday against Golden State.
With Doncic resting and Sexton sidelined, James went scoreless and committed four turnovers in 11 minutes during the Lakers’ 101-89 preseason loss.
Redick acknowledged afterward that James hasn’t played well but pointed to the difficulty of operating with constantly changing lineups.
The Lakers coach also emphasized that the team cannot afford to overburden Doncic and Austin Reaves with ballhandling responsibilities throughout an 82-game season.
For James, the opportunity is there. Whether he can capitalize on it remains another question.
Lakers Face Looming Roster Decision
James’ struggles come at an especially delicate time for Los Angeles.
The Lakers are carrying 16 guaranteed standard contracts, one above the NBA’s regular-season limit of 15.
Lakers president Rob Pelinka must either complete a trade or waive a player before the regular season begins, putting additional scrutiny on the team’s younger reserves.
James, Hardy and Dalton Knecht have all been mentioned in discussions surrounding the roster crunch, although there has been no indication that James is the Lakers’ preferred cut candidate.
His $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 is guaranteed, while Los Angeles holds a $2.5 million team option for 2027-28.
That makes this season particularly important for the former USC guard.
LeBron’s departure to Philadelphia has given Bronny something he has sought throughout his young career: an opportunity to make a name for himself.
But with the Lakers weighing their roster options and Redick searching for dependable backcourt depth, James must demonstrate that he can provide more than occasional defensive energy.
The question is no longer whether he can escape his father’s shadow.
It’s whether he can earn a regular NBA role on his own merits.
Lakers’ Bronny James Put on Notice as Roster Decision Looms