Lakers' Bronny James Eyes 'Across the Board' Improvement with Luka, Reaves After LeBron's Exit

Bronny James is expecting to take on a bigger role with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first NBA season without his father LeBron James on the same roster.

James is planning to spend his third NBA season playing alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, he said on Thursday's live taping of the Mason & Ireland show.

"All across the board, I'm trying to get better," James said around the 3:48 mark of a recent interview with ESPN LA. "I'm playing with Luka and AR still, so I'm going to be off-ball. When it's needed, I need to be able to knock down shots and create for others. And I think I've been doing a good job with that this summer."

James continued, "I feel like I can be a secondary ball-handler to Luka and AR... I just pride myself in being an all-around player, and whatever is needed, I'm up for it."

James appeared in 42 regular-season games with one start during his second season with the Lakers. He averaged 2.9 points, 1.2 assists, 0.5 rebounds and 0.5 steals while playing 8.9 minutes per game.

He will now look to improve those numbers further after already seeing his three-point shooting improve from 28.1 percent as a rookie to 38.6 percent in his sophomore season.

The Lakers guard could also be looking to take on more of a leadership role as he heads into his third season with the team. Only Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt have been with the Lakers longer than James.

"It's crazy," James said about being one of his team's longest-tenured players. "I've got a bigger voice in the gym right now, and it kind of feels weird."

James has just over one month remaining before the Lakers open the preseason Oct. 5, followed by their regular-season opener Oct. 21 against Stephen Curry and the visiting Golden State Warriors.