Since “We Want Bronny” echoed through Barclays Center, Bronny James has not played in the last two games. His minutes per game, 6.7, are the lowest among current Lakers on the roster. With his father, LeBron James, being a free agent in the summer, reports of James Jr.’s exit have emerged.

“The Lakers are considering waiving G Bronny James to utilize their 15th roster spot in the buyout market.” The final spot on the Purple and Gold roster went to guard Kobe Bufkin. It was an internal development move, as the 6-feet-4 star signed a two-way deal with a team option for the 2026-27 season with the South Bay Lakers. The 22-year-old was previously signed on a 10-day contract.

During that time, he played in 4 games and even averaged 11.3 minutes per game, double that of Bronny James. So, the reports signify that the Lakers are high on Bufkin rather than Bronny. To maximize the roster’s capabilities, Bronny James could find his exit, and then the Lakers can target wing players like Haywood Highsmith.

The franchise was also linked with former Nets star Cam Thomas, but he signed a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent. If the Lakers don’t decide on removing the 15th member, they could lose more free agents to other teams. All this comes at a time when it seems JJ Redick is not so high on providing adequate opportunities to Bronny James. Thus, he could become the expendable player on the roster.

In fact, Bufkin also earned Redick’s approval for his defensive abilities. “The G League game is different, so there’s certain things that Zach (South Bay’s head coach, Zach Guthrie) does that are a little bit different than we do,” Redick told reporters. “He’s really challenged him (Kobe Bufkin) on that end. He’s shown he can be engaged and guard.”

Bufkin seems to know this, and this seems to have earned him his latest tenure with the team. Amid this, former NBA star Jason “White Chocolate” Williams took some shots at LeBron James for inadvertently putting his son in this situation.

Bronny James gets sympathy for being in this limbo

“I wish selfishly that Bronny James would have gone to Duke or North Carolina just to get away from L.A. and get away from his pops and go over there and be the man.” In the recent episode of the “Hoopin’ N Hollerin’” podcast, Williams was blunt about the lack of development routes for Bronny. “If he had stayed in college for four years, I think he’d have been a monster.”

Bronny James’ draft stock was low because of his sole year at USC. He exhibited some flashes of pro potential but generally had an underwhelming campaign. In 25 games for the Trojans, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Since joining the Lakers, he hasn’t seen much time in NBA games, but has had a couple of high-scoring games in the G League.

Even in the first season, Bronny would juggle between the Lakers and South Bay. In the second year, it was assumed that LeBron James’ son would crack the rotation on a regular basis. But those things haven’t transpired yet. Will that push Bronny away from the team? Only time will tell.