The Los Angeles Lakers genuinely believe in Bronny James as a player, with the franchise attracted to his athleticism, length and work ethic, Dan Woike reported in a Reddit question-and-answer session on Thursday, October 15.
Woike said the Lakers understood that drafting Bronny would make his father, LeBron James, happy, but emphasized that the organization also saw basketball potential in the 22-year-old guard. The Lakers have continued to value his approach since he joined the team, according to the reporter.
“The belief in Bronny James the person/player is genuine,” Woike wrote, adding that the Lakers had been intrigued by his athleticism and length despite his size. He also said the organization had praised Bronny’s work ethic and how he handles the attention associated with being LeBron James’ son.
Bronny is entering the third year of a four-year, $7.89 million contract, with the Lakers holding a team option for the final season. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 42 appearances during the 2025-26 season, improving from 2.3 points and 0.8 assists in 27 games as a rookie.
His shooting percentages also improved. Bronny shot 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range last season, compared with 31.3% and 28.1%, respectively, in 2024-25.
He also produced 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game across 20 G League appearances with the South Bay Lakers, shooting 50.2% overall and 37.6% from beyond the arc.
Sean Deveney reported for Heavy.com that one NBA executive saw interest in Bronny around the league and suggested that the Lakers could potentially receive a second-round pick or multiple second-round selections in a trade.
The Lakers are also evaluating Dalton Knecht’s future, with Jake Fischer reporting that Los Angeles have discussed trading the wing to the Milwaukee Bucks for Jericho Sims.
