Bronny James is a Los Angeles Laker.
With the 55th pick in Thursday's second round of the NBA draft, the Lakers selected the former USC freshman and son of NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James.
What is Bronny's fit in L.A.? What part of his game most needs to improve at the next level? How many games will father and son take the court together in 2024-25?
Our NBA Insiders are breaking down the biggest questions surrounding Bronny's future in the league, including how the 6-foot-2 guard can carve out a successful NBA career.
Bronny James' fit with the Lakers is _____.
Jeff Borzello: By design. In reality, he was never really going to end up anywhere else besides alongside his father with the Lakers. It's a landing spot that will come with anticipation, expectations and ample pressure -- from the outside, at least. But we also have to acknowledge that Bronny himself isn't going to be walking into Los Angeles expecting to be handed the keys to the offense. He'll be patient, he'll buy into the process and it wouldn't be surprising to see him spend time in the G League after getting some minutes alongside LeBron.
Chris Herring: Something we'll have to watch. It's incredibly hard to analyze the fit without knowing what sort of pro Bronny will become, or where he'd even place on the team's depth chart. (For context: Jalen Hood-Schifino, a guard who got taken in the first round last summer, logged just 109 minutes as a rookie.) And that's more than OK. I think most of us can look at the pick for what it is: On a base level, this is a chance to see a father and son share the court for the first time in an NBA game. As teammates, no less. If it develops into a greater fit than that, it will be remarkable. But even if it doesn't, it's still remarkable in its own way.
Dave McMenamin: Pressure packed. The great thing is, Bronny has realized his goal to make it to the NBA. The complicated part is that he will continue to have to exist under his father's substantial shadow as he attempts to make a name for himself as a professional. There was bound to be a spotlight on Bronny wherever he ended up if he made it to the league, but there will be an exponentially larger one playing with the Lakers as LeBron closes out his career.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Perhaps the most scrutinized ever for a second-round pick. Ever since LeBron discussed this as a possibility, it seemed inevitable that father and son would find a way to play together. Bronny gets to learn and grow under the tutelage of his father. But on the other end, no second-round pick will ever be scrutinized the way James will be due to who he is, who his father is and the glamorous Lakers franchise. At summer league, James will be the most anticipated and watched Lakers rookie debut since Lonzo Ball in 2017.
Bronny was drafted too high, too low, or just right at No. 55?
Youngmisuk: NBA teams can do much worse than take a chance on a guard who is smart, wants to defend, has the work ethic to become a better player and shooter and is an unselfish pass-first player. At USC, James was beloved by his teammates. Considering that second-round picks can be a crapshoot, James is a worthy gamble for the Lakers at No. 55.
Herring: For several reasons -- his cardiac arrest that shortened his freshman season among them -- it's hard to know where he should have been drafted. He'd long been billed as a late second-rounder or a possible undrafted free agent signing, and those sorts of players are often ones teams are taking flyers on anyway. The fact that he ended up being taken by the Lakers, after agent Rich Paul called around to tell teams not to take him, will merely amplify the questions around him. It's now up to James to make the most of the chance he'll get.
McMenamin: Hard to say anything other than just right. Considering his college production being inconclusive at best in proving his potential at the next level, the most important thing for Bronny was finding a team to believe in him enough to invest a pick on him. Now that his foot is in the door, Bronny's work ethic and development will determine if the teams that passed on him will end up looking wise or misguided in the long run.
Borzello: He was worth taking a flier on. Most will say it's too high based on college production. But we just saw AJ Johnson -- who was ranked lower than Bronny coming out of high school -- selected in the first round after averaging 2.8 points in Australia and Pacome Dadiet picked in at No. 25 after putting up 6.8 points in Germany. It's not unprecedented to see teams take a chance on NBA pedigree and potential in the late second round.
What is one facet Bronny must sharpen at the next level?
Check out the top moments from Bronny James' time at USC as he joins up with LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Borzello: Even when Bronny was at his best at the high school level, he didn't consistently demonstrate an ability to create off the dribble, beating a defender 1-on-1 and making a play for himself or a teammate. He's shown explosiveness in transition when he has a path to the rim and he's able to move the ball within the offense, but being a playmaker in the halfcourt is an area of improvement.
Herring: It would be a massive development for him to develop an effective floater. You can see the makings of a good shooter from the perimeter, and he hit better than 40% of his pull-up jumpers at USC. But eventually, if opponents start to close out on his jumpers, he'll need to be able to punish them by scoring in the paint -- something that isn't the easiest thing to do at his height at 6-foot-2. Adding a reliable floater could be a massive tool for his game.
McMenamin: Engaging his motor more often. Any top-line analysis of Bronny as an NBA prospect points to his elite athleticism on the plus side and his relative lack of size as a minus. Explosive activity -- running the court, playing physical and connected wing defense, and making plays above the rim -- is one way he can limit his height disadvantage. One talent evaluator who observed Bronny during the pre-draft process told ESPN that the guard's extensive soccer experience growing up might have caused him to unknowingly pace himself on the court after being used to playing on more expansive soccer pitches. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who worked out with Bronny in L.A. in recent years, backed up this observation, saying on the Gil's Arena Podcast that, "He has the Bugatti engine, but he wants to drive the speed limit."
Youngmisuk: James has the form and work ethic to become a better 3-point shooter after hitting just 26.7% from behind the arc at USC. Keep in mind that James was making his way back from suffering cardiac arrest during a summer workout and didn't have an offseason to prepare. Once back, he had to ramp up on a strict minutes restriction and those came in short stints in which he had a difficult time gaining a rhythm. James will have to shoot with confidence and accuracy at the next level.
Bronny's success in the NBA will be determined by _____.
Youngmisuk: His ability to defend. James isn't as quick as many NBA point guards or as tall as NBA shooting guards. But James' NBA calling card will be as a 3-and-D role player who makes winning plays. He works hard on the defensive end and will have to stay in front of guards and defend at a high level. His basketball IQ stands out. He looks to make the right play and the right pass, almost to a fault. He is an athletic finisher but will need that athleticism to make plays on defense -- like when he produced a highlight chasedown block, reminiscent of his old man.
Herring: How well the Lakers develop him. Obviously Bronny comes from good stock, and we can imagine he'll put the work in. But let's be honest here: how well a player develops has plenty to do with where they're developing, too -- and that's one aspect of Klutch CEO Rich Paul's thinking that was always hard to argue with. He was always particular about where Bronny landed, and, as such, he ended up in Los Angeles, where his dad has a powerful voice in the organization. All of that said: It would have been interesting to see him end up with one of the clubs -- Miami, San Antonio, Toronto -- that are known for excelling in player development.
McMenamin: The player development program in L.A. James already proved to have an admirable work ethic and unquestioned dedication to be able to recover from a serious cardiac incident and join his USC teammates in game action midseason. But let's be honest: he still needs a lot more work to reach his goal of being an impact player on the next level and not just someone taking up a roster spot on the end of the bench.
Borzello: Patience and player development. Prior to last summer, Bronny was being projected as a potential first-round pick -- but making an immediate impact and contributing from day one in the NBA wasn't the expectation. And that was before he suffered a cardiac arrest during practice last summer. He didn't make his college debut until December and was on a minutes restriction for a few weeks; he started just six college games. On the plus side, Bronny isn't going to be asked to start in the NBA early. It's going to take time -- but his rate of improvement at the high school level paints a picture of someone who will be patient with the development process.
Bronny's NBA ceiling is _____.
Youngmisuk: James has mentioned Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Davion Mitchell as players he'd liken his game to. Holiday and White are perfect players for the rookie to emulate, as James wants to impact winning like Holiday and White did for the reigning champs. If James can defend like those three but be able to hit the open 3 and do all the small but impactful things that Holiday and White do on the glass and on defense, he will have a long career.
Herring: Still unknown. He landed with a solid team in the Lakers, who, given his dad's age, want to win big right now. That's often not conducive for younger players who are looking for opportunities to develop; particularly second rounders. Still, I think the hope should be that Bronny can at some point develop more playmaking and shooting ability to where he can become a rotation player. His willingness to compete on the defensive end is an obvious strength. But it's a massive leap to go from a truncated season at USC to then jump to the league at his size. Let's see the guy play first. Either way, he'll need time to develop, and I genuinely hope he gets that opportunity.
Borzello: I don't think it's a stretch to think he can be a rotation player within a few years. His floor is a capable 3-and-D guard with advanced feel for the game who can distribute and run an offense. If he improves off the bounce and as a playmaker, his ceiling gets higher. Bronny has already demonstrated he's capable of buying into a role and won't expect to be a go-to guy -- or anything even close to it -- at the NBA or G League level anytime soon. He committed to USC when it already had No. 1 recruit Isaiah Collier and all-league guard Boogie Ellis in the backcourt; he's not expecting to walk into a huge role.
McMenamin: Rather than what his ceiling is, let's talk about what his aspiration should be -- a rotation player on a winning team. If he can become that, it will unlock everything he could ask for as a pro in terms of longevity and compensation and the fulfillment of being able to apply what appears to be his most NBA-ready skill in his preternatural basketball IQ. And if he is a contributor on a winner, he'll be able to carve out his own name apart from his father's as he announced to the world as his goal during the predraft combine in Chicago.
