What Exactly Is Bronny James' Role On the Los Angeles Lakers?

Bronny James' $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 is guaranteed. That's the good news. The rest? It's pretty cloudy after the young guard's third NBA preseason.

Friday, in the Los Angeles Lakers' finale to the exhibition slate, Bronny didn't take the floor till just before the start of the fourth quarter. He played that entire last frame. And he finished with no points on 0-of-1 shooting, turned it over once and handed out one assist in 12 minutes.

For the preseason, he had not-exactly-eye-popping averages of 16.4 minutes, 2.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 turnovers. Even more alarming, when you stretch that last number out to a per-36-minute average, it's 5.7. Yes, 5.7 turnovers per 36 minutes.

Since he left USC after averaging 4.8 points and shooting 36.6 percent from the field as a freshman, Bronny has had his moments as a pro, mostly in the G-League.

In those positive moments, his bounce is often on display. Even relative to other pros, he's a solid (though unspectacular) athlete. He typically works hard on the defensive end. And in true "son of an NBA star" fashion, he has a lot of the fundamentals down.

Friday, he had a boxout against the Denver Nuggets that drove his opponent all the way into the stanchion. The Lakers snagged that rebound, but they lost the game, 121-106. And by the final buzzer, that solitary boxout was probably Bronny's best play of the night.

Earlier in (and really throughout) the preseason, his most memorable moments may have been his inability to bring the ball up the floor against even mild pressure.

That's a problem for a guard. It's a bigger one for a guard listed at 6'2". And as he enters his third NBA season, there's really no excuse for it.

By now, whether his coaches or front office have told him or not (surely, they have), Bronny should know that his NBA survival is heavily dependent on his ability to handle the basketball. Whatever amount of time he's poured into it, it doesn't appear to have been enough.

James' shooting really hasn't come along to any acceptable degree either. He finished this preseason 4-of-16 from the field and 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) from deep. In 106 summer league, preseason, regular season and postseason appearances, Bronny is now shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from three.

Not far off those uninspiring shooting numbers from his lone season with the Trojans.

So, assuming L.A. doesn't eat that guaranteed money and waive James (they likely won't), what exactly can he do for the Lakers this season?

At the risk of sounding condescending, he has to be a good end-of-the-bench teammate, and that doesn't necessarily just mean enthusiastic celebrations.

It may not be enough to get and keep him on the floor right now, but the aforementioned athleticism and fundamentals make Bronny a passable defender. If he can now add a little more intensity to that mix, James can bring some real value outside of games.

He's capable of pushing the regulars in practice, to a degree that actually helps them get better. And the longer and more consistently he provides value in that way, the more likely JJ Redick is to give him a shot to do it in games.

To answer the question in the headline more directly: Bronny's specific role is almost certainly the one he's had the last couple seasons. He is, at best, a third-stringer. He hasn't proved worthy of more.

But even third-stringers can make statements when they're on the floor, particularly on the hustle and defense fronts.

In all likelihood, we've spent too much mental energy waiting for James to show up elsewhere—whether as a shooter, passer or ball-handler—when his actual calling card may simply have to be energy.