The Los Angeles Lakers saw their 2025-26 NBA season come to a harsh ending after getting swept by the OKC Thunder in their second-round matchup. The Lakers were at a noticeable talent disadvantage against the reigning champions anyway, but their chances were almost non-existent with Luka Doncic on the injury list.
The Lakers are entering an important offseason where they’ll be expected to reshape the roster in the way that a young superstar like Doncic would want them to. It was the same power LeBron James enjoyed over the franchise in recent years, including when the franchise used the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to select his son, Bronny James.
Bronny’s NBA career has been under scrutiny since the day he was drafted, with many dismissing him as a product of nepotism. However, Bronny has worked hard over the last two seasons to prove to everyone that he is a genuine NBA prospect as an undersized three-and-D guard. He’s had some great flashes, especially last season, to show that he’s developing tangibly.
The Lakers signed Bronny to a four-year, $7.8 million contract immediately after he was drafted. The fourth year comes with a $2.4 million team option, so Bronny is essentially going to play the 2026-27 NBA season on an expiring contract. He will need to prove to the Lakers that he deserves a spot on the franchise, even after his father potentially retires by the end of next season.
James doesn’t have a discernible market right now, but should the Lakers even entertain potential extension talks with the 21-year-old guard? Let’s evaluate if it makes sense for the franchise.
Bronny James’ 2025-26 Season Stats
Bronny averaged 2.9 points on 38.9% from three in his second season in the NBA. He averaged 15.6 points on 45.6% from three on 4.9 attempts per game, with 3.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the G League, showing that he might have outgrown the NBA’s developmental league. The South Bay Lakers were 14-0 when Bronny suited up for them this season, so his career has to be judged from what he’s doing in the NBA.
James received extended minutes in a few games this season. Highlights of these include his 25-minute performance against the San Antonio Spurs where he scored a career-high 12 points.
James is an emergency guard option for the Lakers and doesn’t factor into their regular rotation. He did receive increased opportunities towards the end of the regular season, but exclusively in a three-and-D role, similar to what Marcus Smart provides in a full-time rotational role. James is miles away from being as productive as Smart, but his archetype has been useful for the Lakers this season.
His small stints over the season did show he’s taken a tangible step forward after averaging 2.3 points on 28.1% shooting from three in 27 games in his rookie season. Bronny has developed enough to go from a player who looked out-of-place in the NBA to somebody who belongs but is still a few years away from being a useful player a winning team could rely on.
He doesn’t have the profile of a player who will fill the stat sheet even when he’s fully developed, so evaluating him will always be up to the people who are watching his performances with a close eye.
Fulfilling Potential Takes Time
The reason the Lakers gave Bronny a four-year contract wasn’t just nepotism to keep LeBron happy; that was a ridiculous notion from day one. The Lakers, along with teams like the Phoenix Suns, had taken a genuine interest in Bronny as a developmental prospect. Naturally, the other teams were nudged away to clear the path for LA to select him, but this interest was genuine due to what he could develop into.
James used to be projected as a Jrue Holiday or Marcus Smart-level prospect before he had a rough freshman season in the NCAA after suffering a heart attack. Everyone has seen the strides Bronny took over his second season, so it does show a progressive developmental curve. The Lakers will closely analyze him over his third season to see if he’s made enough developmental strides to warrant a fourth season with the franchise.
It’s not realistic to keep hoping Bronny will develop into a guard-defender at the level of Holiday or Smart. He might never be more than a role-player in the NBA, but the Lakers would want to have a player in this archetype as an end-of-the-bench option. They’re developing him into being the kind of role-player who can fit next to their stars, so abandoning that process after Year 3 would be surprising, unless he visibly regresses next season.
The LeBron James Factor
Even if Bronny’s entry into the NBA was also based on merit, we can’t ignore the LeBron James factor in his career and tenure with the Lakers. LeBron is entering the 2026 offseason as a free agent for the first time as a Laker, which might have an incidental impact on Bronny’s future.
LeBron leaving the Lakers officially means that there is no safety net for Bronny if he doesn’t take a step forward in the 2026-27 season. He likely will be allowed to see out the season regardless of LeBron’s decision, given what the franchise has invested in Bronny’s development. Letting all of that go because LeBron left, or trading him to LeBron’s next destination, wouldn’t be a prudent move for the franchise.
If Bronny is to enter the fourth year of his Lakers contract, or renegotiate an extension after next season, it’ll be on the basis of what he achieves on the court. LeBron’s free agent decision might play a factor, but if he wants to have a long-lasting NBA career, it needs to be without LeBron’s influence.
Lakers’ Poor Draft Record In Recent Years
Bronny is surprisingly one of the better draft picks the Lakers have made in recent seasons. Bronny joined the league alongside Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick, Dalton Knecht. Knecht ended the 25-26 season lower in the Lakers rotation than Bronny, with their defensive production being the major differentiator even if Knecht is a more productive offensive player. The pick from the 2023 draft, Jalen Hood-Schifino, is already out of the NBA.
Adou Thiero is another interest high-potential second-round pick on the Lakers roster, but outside of him and Bronny, there aren’t any homegrown players the Lakers can rely on anymore, with Austin Reaves being a notable exception as an undrafted signing.
Bronny’s status as a homegrown player who could be a genuine rotational contributor within a few seasons should give the Lakers additional incentive to keep him around and see if his developmental journey can have a positive end after their recent busts.
Final Verdict
The Lakers don’t have to make a decision on Bronny immediately, so the 2026-27 season will decide his future with the franchise. He is extension-eligible heading into the offseason, but it wouldn’t make sense for either side to agree on a new contract this early. Bronny could drastically improve his value with a breakout season and incentivize the Lakers to keep him around for another season on a cheap contract, or he could stagnate as a player and make the Lakers give up on him as a prospect.
It’ll be a make-or-break season for Bronny as he hopes to secure his NBA future. It’s time he established his personal identity as an NBA player instead of forever being remembered as the player who got an NBA opportunity because of his dad. He took great steps in establishing himself last season, and will be hoping for a breakout year next season.
