Bronny James’ minutes have been hard to ignore for all the wrong reasons.
Through just over 16 minutes this season, the Los Angeles Lakers guard has been on the floor for a minus-40, a number that has fueled fresh questions about his place on an 11-2 team. NBA insider Jovan Buha raised the issue on his “Buha’s Block” podcast, arguing that the Lakers could be better served by moving on and adding a more reliable veteran option.
James has appeared in six games and is averaging 1.3 points. He has yet to record a rebound or an assist.
After the Lakers’ 123-112 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Buha laid out the stat line in blunt terms.
“Bronny is a minus-40 in 16 minutes and 35 seconds this season,” Buha said. “Think about that.
That’s not even a quarter and a half of basketball. The Lakers have been outscored by 40 in his 16 and a half minutes.
When you look at Bronny and his lack of progress this year, it is concerning.”
The Lakers have surged to their strong start behind Luka Doncic, who has been carrying the offense and building an early MVP case. But the team’s deep reserves have also let a few comfortable late leads slip away.
James and Jaden Hardy have drawn the most criticism for those stretches. Against Milwaukee, James scored four points in four minutes and finished minus-13.
Buha said he would not expect James to land a standard NBA deal elsewhere if Los Angeles waived him.
“If LA waived him, I’d be surprised if someone picked him up on an actual contract. Maybe someone picks him up on a two-way.
Maybe Philly picks him up on a two-way, or somewhere picks him up on a two-way. I don’t think he ends up on a 15-man roster.”
Buha pointed to Bruce Brown as the kind of steadier guard he would rather see on the roster.
“Bruce Brown, I’d be cool with Bruce Brown. At this point, why not waive Bronny and just have Bruce Brown on the team?”
For now, James remains part of the mix, and each garbage-time appearance is starting to feel like a test.
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