Los Angeles Lakers' Bronny James Proving NBA Potential?

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has had a strong showing in the Las Vegas Summer League. The former USC Trojans guard has shown tremendous growth in the NBA, and while James still has room to grow, his last three performances have shown his potential.

Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) during the game against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is showing off his development in the Las Vegas Summer League. The former USC Trojans guard is taking the steps in the right direction and showing the league his potential in the NBA.

James' 2024 summer league compared to 2025 shows his growth in just one year. While James had a rocky start to the summer league this year, getting back on the court for the first time since the season, in his last three matchups, he has impressed as of late.

Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) during the game against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the biggest areas James has had to improve is on offense, and with the increased playing time, he is shooting better. In the last three games, James has averaged over 16 points per game. He's registered a combined 13 assists and eight rebounds in the last three contests as well.

The Lakers faced the Boston Celtics on July 17, and while Los Angeles did lose, James scored a game-high 18 points. He went 7-of-13 shooting, with five assists and three rebounds. In the first half, the former USC guard was playing as more of a distributor, and it was in the second half that he took off with shooting.

Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Even with how well he is shooting, there is still room for improvement. James committed eight turnovers and three personal fouls against the Celtics, but the former Trojan is showing his development ahead of his second season in the league.

Bronny James in his last 3 games:

18 PTS, 5 AST, 2 REB
17 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB
14 PTS, 3 AST, 1 REB pic.twitter.com/ZO59Di847T

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 18, 2025

One of the most critical things James has needed is consistent playing time to develop, and this summer league, he is earning that.

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“It helps that I was in the G League running point guard most of the time. Just getting these reps in the Summer League is helping as well. Just getting more comfortable game by game,” James told reporters following the matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) celebrates with center Trey Jemison III (55) after scoring against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Playing a consistent amount of minutes each game has helped James develop, as he only played one season with USC before declaring for the draft. He only started in six games with the USC Trojans after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest due to a congenital heart defect. James managed to work his way back to play with the Trojans, but it slowed down his development.

In his rookie season in the NBA, James averaged just 6.7 minutes. There were a couple of games in which he earned significant playing time, but it was not a substantial amount.

James will be just 21 years old during his second season in the league. Between being a young player still and having overcome medical issues that set him back, the most important thing for James is time.

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) defends on the court in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Since being drafted, the former USC guard has been scrutinized. After being taken in the second round, there were views that James is only in the league due to his father, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. With that, the former USC Trojans athlete, no matter how he performed, was being discussed.

There is an expectation that James will be a rotational piece in the 2025-2026 season. With the skills he has shown in the summer league, this will be something to watch for, which will also give him more playing time to continue to grow.