Yes, Bronny James is still a Los Angeles Laker, even with LeBron James now playing in Philadelphia. The 22-year-old guard was sent to the G League on Nov. 5, scored 22 points in his only game there, and was called back up before the Lakers’ road trip. Through five NBA games this season, he’s averaging 0.8 points in about two and a half minutes a night.
That has the internet asking whether the Lakers should cut him. A Fox News OutKick column says yes. Former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown piled on from his YouTube channel. The date that will actually decide Bronny’s future isn’t anywhere on this season’s schedule, though.
Why do critics want the Lakers to cut Bronny James?
The numbers are thin. Bronny averaged 2.3 points on 31.3% shooting as a rookie, then 2.9 points on 40.9% shooting in his second season, mostly in garbage time. His G League production also dipped last season, and OutKick notes his player efficiency rating ranked 330th among qualified G League players.
Critics also point to how he got to the NBA. The Lakers drafted him 55th overall in 2024, and many believe that was partly about keeping his father happy. Coach JJ Redick raised doubts about his roster spot after Bronny shot 4 of 16 in five preseason games. Brown went further on YouTube, saying he couldn’t believe someone lost a job to Bronny.
The Detroit trip didn’t help his image. When a Pistons fan heckled him from near courtside, Bronny shot back by asking how much money she makes a year. The clip spread quickly.
Why haven’t the Lakers waived Bronny James?
Cutting him wouldn’t save money. Bronny earns about $2.3 million this season on a fully guaranteed deal, so the Lakers would owe it whether he’s on the roster or not. Waiving him only opens a roster spot.
The Lakers also had a clear chance to move on and didn’t take it. They kept Bronny in October when they waived Dalton Knecht, the 17th pick in his draft class. Redick has framed the G League trips as a development plan, saying young players need real game minutes. Bronny’s 22 points with seven assists and five rebounds in a win over the Salt Lake City Stars was exactly the kind of night that plan is supposed to produce.
There’s also a fairness point most hot takes skip. Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a USC workout in July 2023. He went from that to an NBA roster in less than a year. Plenty of second-round picks get years to develop. Very few get judged as harshly in public, and his last name is a big part of why.
Is LeBron still a factor in Bronny’s future?
Not officially. Agent Rich Paul has said LeBron and Bronny aren’t a package deal, and LeBron signed with the 76ers without his son. Critics argue the Lakers are still worried about upsetting LeBron. Supporters say a 7-2 team gave Bronny minutes because it chose to. Both sides are guessing, since the Lakers haven’t commented beyond the G League moves.
When will the Lakers decide on Bronny James?
Here’s the date that matters. Bronny’s deal is fully guaranteed through the 2026-27 season, with a team option for 2027-28. That option is the Lakers’ real decision point. They can keep him for this season at no extra cost, keep developing him, and then decide next summer whether he’s earned a fourth year.
So the debate over cutting him now mostly misses the point. Bronny’s real deadline is that team option next summer, and the Lakers will decide then whether to bring him back.
