Will Bronny’s Summer League Lead to Rotation Minutes?
As always, all eyes were on Bronny James as he participated in the Summer League for the second straight season with the Lakers.
With a full year of NBA and G League play under his belt, fans and the Lakers alike were hoping to see signs of growth from Bronny’s game. And while there were still some ups and downs, as there are with every young player, James showed as a whole that he is improving as a professional basketball player.
“He looked like he’s better than a lot of the guys he’s playing against in Summer League”@getnickwright says Bronny James has a real shot to get playing time with the Lakers this season & is his On The Rise player presented by @boostmobile pic.twitter.com/bWFtPyjzRk
— What’s Wright? with Nick Wright (@WhatsWrightShow) July 23, 2025
Bronny began his summer with the Lakers in the California Classic. After missing the opening game due to injury, Bronny averaged 6 points and 1.5 rebounds to go along with 1.5 steals. He played just 26 combined minutes in the two games, though, and it was clear he was trying to gear up for Las Vegas.
Bronny’s first game in Vegas came against #1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. With the building jam-packed, Bronny struggled offensively after hitting his first two shots but showed some impressive ability on the defensive end, even guarding Flagg a couple of times and forcing him into tough looks. The game was perhaps a preview of what a realistic NBA role for Bronny looks like: a defensive specialist guarding multiple positions.
Bronny James’ Strong Showing in Vegas
The final three games of the summer following the game vs Dallas are what really should have fans and the Lakers brass excited, though. During that stretch, James averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds. He also continued to show that defense was his biggest strength, adding a steal per game to his stat line and doing some other things that don’t show up on the box score.
Efficiency and turnovers were still a bit of a problem, though, for James, as he only shot above 50% once in Las Vegas and turned the ball over 14 times in 4 games. However, this is a common trait for developing players in Las Vegas, as the amount of touches and the green light they have is not something some of them see much in college or during the course of a real season.
Overall, Bronny James’ performance this summer reinforced that he is still developing, but is taking major strides that the Lakers front office has to be happy with. If he can continue to hone in on his defense and at least be a player who can hit open shots and limit turnovers, there’s a path for him to get a rotation spot in the NBA.
