Column Argues Lakers Should Waive Bronny James After LeBron’s Move to 76ers
A sports opinion column published November 11 argues the Los Angeles Lakers should waive Bronny James now that his father LeBron has left for Philadelphia. It cites his NBA and G League numbers and a guaranteed salary of about $2.3 million this season.
A sports opinion column published November 11 argues that the Los Angeles Lakers should waive guard Bronny James now that his father, LeBron James, plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. The writer says the younger James is "not an NBA-caliber player" and kept his roster spot only because of his family name.
The Lakers picked Bronny James 55th overall out of USC in the 2024 NBA Draft. The column says the pick was meant to keep LeBron in Los Angeles, a view Stephen A. Smith of ESPN has also repeated.
The numbers behind the argument
The column points to Bronny James's two NBA seasons. In 27 games as a rookie, he averaged 2.3 points and 6.7 minutes while shooting 31.3% from the field and 28.1% from three-point range.
In 42 games in his second season, he averaged 2.9 points and 8.9 minutes. He shot 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from deep. The writer calls that "a modest improvement" but says the sample is too small to judge.
The G League, the NBA's developmental league, offers a bigger sample. In 18 games in 2024-25, James averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 31.4 minutes. He shot 41.5% from the field and 33.6% from three.
Last season he played 20 G League games. He averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.5 minutes, shooting 50.2% from the field and 37.6% from three.
The column says his Player Efficiency Rating of 12.9 ranked 330th among qualified G League players. It argues that no one else with those numbers would keep getting NBA call-ups.
Money and roster space
Bronny James earns approximately $2.3 million this season on a guaranteed contract, according to the column. The Lakers would still owe him that money if they waived him.
The writer says cutting him would open a roster spot for a player who could actually help the team. The column is the author's opinion, and the Lakers have not been quoted in it.
Stephen A. Smith revisits the confrontation
Smith also spoke about Bronny James this week on The KG & Stephen A. Show. He recalled a March 2025 game between the Lakers and the New York Knicks, when LeBron confronted him over comments about his son.
Smith had urged LeBron in January 2025, as a father, to end the "Bronny experiment." He said the confrontation came the night ESPN announced his new contract. "Remember, it's the first day of my new contract," Smith said, explaining why he held back.
Smith said he would have gone to see LeBron in Los Angeles if the player had called. He added that he has moved on and wishes James wins a title with the 76ers.
LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, has said the two James players are "not a package deal" after the 76ers move.
