As was the expectation heading into his inaugural NBA season, [Los Angeles Lakers](https://lakersdaily.com/) guard Bronny James didn’t get many opportunities for playing time in the big leagues as a rookie.
He appeared in well under half of the Lakers’ 82 regular-season games — 27, to be exact — and averaged just 6.7 minutes of playing time per game on the rare occasions head coach J.J. Redick called his number.
Although he is still trying to establish himself at the highest level, he did show plenty of growth in his G League opportunities as a rookie and had his moments in the NBA.
One Western Conference executive gave James a lot of credit while speaking to Athlon Sports and spoke about what his future may hold.
> “I don’t think there’s any doubt that’s their plan,” the executive [said](https://athlonsports.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/bronny-james-predicted-new-lakers-role-ahead-next-season), speaking on the idea that the Lakers are pushing for James to be part of their rotation next year. “I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we’ve seen a lot of tape on (Bronny) and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July.”
The executive also predicted that James will be a “regular” for the Lakers next year and get consistent playing time.
> “He’s 20 years old,” the exec said. “He had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter and he showed he can shoot the 3. If he can show that wasn’t a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him.
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> “I think he is going to do all that. He is going to be a regular for them next year.”
James suited up in 18 total contests in the 2024-25 G League campaign and averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He shot 41.5 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from 3-point range.
He sprinkled in some highly impressive scoring performances as well and reminded Lakers fans that him being drafted with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was about more than just who his father is.
James appeared in 11 games in the G League’s regular season, and he dropped 23-plus points in five of them. He scored a season-high 39 points while shooting 14-of-22 from the field in a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors back in March.
The 20-year-old is hoping to earn himself a spot in Redick’s rotation, but it might not be easy, as he’ll have to prove that he’s really to be a consistent piece.
Whatever becomes of James’ sophomore season and what role he has for the Lakers, what’s most important is that he continues to hone his game and not get complacent with all that he’s already accomplished.