Despite LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers, Bronny James remains a part of the Los Angeles Lakers. James Jr. has been part of multiple trade talks over the summer, but it seems he has a little more breathing space with the Purple and Gold franchise. This ties to another roster decision Rob Pelinka made.
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“Free agent guard Nick Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid, agents Lucas Newton and Calvin Andrews of Klutch Sports told @hoopshype ,” wrote Michael Scotto on X. “He averaged 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes during three NBA seasons with the Hornets and Lakers. He’ll be Real Madrid’s lead guard.”
The former Lakers guard shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo of himself in his Real Madrid uniform. Many former teammates, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero, commented and congratulated Smith. Even Bronny James wrote, “Damn thats fire bro be great!!!”
Smith’s ability to handle the ball and create shots led to his inclusion on the Lakers playoff roster over Drew Timme. Now, the former Lakers guard will be expected to take over and be the major piece for Real Madrid. Let’s not forget, that’s the same club where Luka Doncic created a name for himself.
Smith’s departure sends a pretty clear message. The Lakers and JJ Redick are placing their faith in Bronny James, trusting him to step up and handle backcourt duties going forward. That’s a bold call, especially given that Smith had the better season by a considerable margin.
In 30 games, starting just one, Smith made his 12.5 minutes per game count. He shot 43.5% from the field and averaged 6.2 points per night. Bronny’s numbers, on the other hand, left plenty of room for growth.
The 21-year-old appeared in 42 games but averaged just 8.9 minutes and 2.9 points per game on 40.9% shooting. Even in the playoffs, when Smith was called upon to help fill the guard void created by injuries to Doncic and Austin Reaves, he was only getting around 3 minutes per game.
Bronny James also got limited minutes with 5.3 per game and scored just 1.5 points per game. That’s where Smith once again was better. The 22-year-old guard still dropped 2.7 points per game on 42.9% shooting from the field. The trust from Redick and Pelinka on Bronny James was already in the making.
The Lakers made a pair of important roster decisions on June 29. Los Angeles fully guaranteed Bronny James’ $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season, keeping the young guard under contract for another year. On the same day, however, the Lakers chose a different path with Nick Smith Jr.
Rather than exercise his $2.49 million team option for the upcoming season, Los Angeles declined it and allowed Smith to enter free agency. The decisions gave the Lakers some flexibility while confirming that James remained part of their plans heading into the new season.
Smith, meanwhile, was left to search for another opportunity after his time in Los Angeles came to an end.
Previously, Smith signed with the Lakers on a two-way contract after the Rockets waived him. The progression from a two-way contract to earning a play-off roster spot is commendable. And the move to Madrid should boost his chances of eventually returning to the NBA.
On the other hand, Bronny James gets more time to showcase his skills and actually earn important minutes next season. Redick has never shied away from praising James Jr.
“I know there was a stretch recently where he didn’t shoot it well and of course, he had a nice shooting game against Utah,” Redick previously said about Bronny James’ development. “He’s improved a ton defensively in terms of his body positioning, both on and off ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”
The fact that both Redick and Pelinka were comfortable letting Smith walk says a lot about what they have in mind for Bronny. Whether he can actually seize the moment and show what he’s capable of at this level is another question entirely. That part remains to be seen.