Sweatpants and a T-shirt. That is what Bronny James was wearing instead of practice gear when the Lakers and the Warriors squad took the floor for the pre-game warmups, kick-starting their 2025 NBA Summer League campaign. But why? Well, it was later revealed that Bronny had been taken out of the squad for the season opener. Even though he isn’t a key player for the Lakers (yet), he did play 27 games for the LA-based franchise last season. And he was simultaneously playing for the Lakers’ development team, the South Bay Lakers, over the course of the previous season. Then, the obvious question that comes up is: Why wasn’t he a part of the roster for LA?

No definite answer was provided even as the matchup between the Lakers and the Warriors concluded. According to ‘The Sporting News’ reporter Billy Heyen, there is a speculation that Bronny won’t play in the California Classic portion of Summer League. Instead, he will suit up for the portion that will take place in Las Vegas once the games in California are concluded. At the same time, several people are also implying that Bronny’s absence has something to do with the increasing doubts over LeBron James’ future in LA.

It was about a week ago when the NBA All-Time Scorer opted into his $52.6 million player option. Later, reports indicated that he took the player option as a way to keep all options open, as LeBron’s agent Rich Paul subtly implied that the player would be open to joining another team if the Lakers don’t give him a roster that could immediately win a championship.

With Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and the team focused on building a long-term roster around Luka Doncic, these plans are reportedly at odds with the 40-year-old’s desire to build a win-now team. According to the Newsweek reporter Evan Massey, some people are claiming a trade might occur soon, while others think James will play out the final season on his contract and either leave for another team or retire next offseason. Either way, there is a good possibility that LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers will soon come to an end.

In case of Lebron’s departure, Bronny’s future might also be up in the air at the Lakers. That may have been a possible reason he did not play against the Warriors. Another reason might be that he is suffering from an undisclosed injury. Either way, it was a slight disappointment for fans who wanted to see the younger James in action, especially after he revealed he had been going that extra mile to be better prepared for his sophomore year in the league.

Bronny James revealed focusing on eating healthy and conditioning for his 2nd NBA season: “I gotta lock in”

Bronny James recently sat down for an interview with Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. In his report, Turner highlighted Bronny’s struggle to deal with all the pressure and criticism that came with being LeBron James’ son. Even more so if you are playing alongside him on the same team. Although Bronny and Lebron made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game, the former struggled to establish himself for the senior squad with a below-average return of 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. For that reason, it was obvious that Bronny still had a lot of work to do if he wanted to establish himself in the league.

James revealed his plan to be in “elite condition” and to “be disruptive on the defensive end” and added, “So that’s my main focus, probably why I’m getting a little leaner. But I still got 215 [pounds] on me still. So, I’m just running a lot, getting a lot of conditioning in. And then just staying on top of my diet, eating healthy, being a professional.” He further discussed that he has learned from his mistakes in his first year, and is trying learn from that experience and get better at things. “It’s just Year 2, so I gotta lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and being better and excel with that. Yeah, my main focus is this year, or this summer, has been being in elite condition. That’s what I’ve been talking to my coaches about,” Bronny revealed.

Bronny further discussed that the environment was not conducive to his development last year. “Last year it was a crazy environment for me to step in and produce right off the rip, like being nervous too. So, I feel like this year, I’ll be able to go out and play freely and know what I’m gonna go out and do for me and my teammates”.

So, Bronny James is talking the talk. He has said all the right things and looks better prepared for his sophomore year in the league than he did last year. it remains to be seen whether he backs the talk with performances on the court.