Magic Johnson Says Bronny James 'in Good Hands' with Lakers, Cites Caruso, Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson believes Bronny James "is in good hands" ahead of his rookie NBA season.

Johnson cited Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves as two examples of the Lakers' ability to develop young players.

"Bronny will be next," Johnson wrote on Saturday on X.

The eldest son of Lakers star LeBron James is set to make his regular-season NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Caruso, who is set to start for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, joined the Lakers as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2016. He went on to help Los Angeles win a title in 2020.

Since being traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2021, Caruso has developed into one of the strongest defenders in the NBA. He earned consecutive All-Defensive Team nominations over his past two seasons with the Bulls.

Reaves, who came to the organization as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma in 2021, is meanwhile heading into his second season as a starter for the Lakers after averaging a career-high 15.9 points and 5.5 points in 2023-24.

James will now look to go through a similar development process with the Lakers after the franchise selected him with the No. 55 pick of the 2024 draft.

The rookie is joining the organization after playing one abbreviated college season with USC, where he made a delayed start after recovering from cardiac arrest.

Like Caruso, who started out his career with G League play, Johnson has previously said he believes James needs more time to develop before he is ready to become a full-time NBA player.

"If I'm Bronny, I would tell my dad, 'Just let me play in the G League all season so that I can develop,'" the retired Lakers legend said in a September appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "He needs playing time. He doesn't need to be sitting on the Laker bench and not playing. That's not a knock against him, he's just not ready.

"He needs to develop more, and then he will be ready because he has some great talent and skills."

After going 4-for-20 in his first five preseason games, James broke through in the Lakers' Friday preseason finale with 17 points on a 7-for-17 effort against the Golden State Warriors. He could now be set to make his regular-season debut on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.