LeBron James is gone, Bronny still can't play, and the Lakers need to finally cut him loose
There are normally 60 players picked in the NBA Draft each year, and when the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James out of USC in 2024, I thought "he's not a top-60 player...in the Pac-12." We all know why the purple and gold took him late in the second round that June.
Key points
- But now that LeBron is three time zones away from his firstborn, it's time for the Lakers to cut ties with Bronny for good.
- PHILADELPHIA ATHLETES, INCLUDING NEW TEAMMATES, REACT TO LEBRON JAMES JOINING 76ERS: 'WELCOME TO THE CITY' THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE.
- But now LeBron is in Philly, which begs the question: Why is Bronny still in the NBA?
Yes, Bronny is making approximately $2.3 million this season on a guaranteed contract, meaning the Lakers would still owe him that money if they waived him.
Additional details
- In the 18 G League contests Bronny played in the 2024-25 season, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 31.4 minutes while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from deep.
- Maybe the Lakers see something in Bronny — who's averaging 0.8 points through five games this year — that the numbers don't reveal.
- Perhaps the better place to look is Bronny's production in the G League — the NBA's developmental league — where James got considerably more playing time per game.
- Or maybe they're still worried about upsetting LeBron, even with the four-time MVP 3,000 miles away.
- The move was relatively low-risk for the Lakers, who picked Bronny 55th overall.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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