Bryce James’s decision to redshirt his freshman season at Arizona isn’t about falling behind – it’s about getting ahead. While sitting out a year might seem counterintuitive for the son of LeBron James, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas believes the move is a calculated financial play that could ultimately make Bryce more money than his brother Bronny.

“Smart baby! Yes, you got the number one team in the country,” said Gilbert Arenas on X. “Get stronger. You got a great point guard over there right now. Learn how to play. Learn how to play the game, and most importantly, the NIL bag is different with that James name on it.

“That’s NBA money. You’re gonna make more than your brother. You go what you’re gonna make, then you’re gonna make more than him going in the second. Congratulations. We’ll see you next year.”

With Arizona off to a scorching 22-0 start and loaded with veteran talent, Bryce opted to preserve his eligibility and develop behind the scenes. And according to Arenas, that patience could translate into an “NBA money” NIL bag thanks to the ever-growing power of the James brand.

Arenas even joked that NIL money would be so enormous that Bryce James should loan some out to the 3x NBA All-Star. College basketball and the NBA’s salaries ideally shouldn’t be compared. Just take LeBron James‘ $52.6 million contract; nobody can make that amount in college. But NIL has changed the game; that’s why Bronny’s and his younger brother’s earnings are comparable.

The earnings gap between the James brothers perfectly captures the wild new financial world of college sports. While Bronny pulls in a $1.96 million NBA salary as part of his $10 million net worth, his younger brother Bryce hasn’t played a single college minute yet, and he’s already sitting on a $1.3 million NIL valuation, ranking among the top earners in college basketball (per On3.com). In fact, he is #57 in the top NIL 100 list and #16 among college basketball players.

These figures place Bryce’s potential NIL earnings in a similar ballpark to his brother Bronny’s current professional salary, which perfectly underscores Gilbert Arenas’ point about the transformative power of NIL deals.

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For context, AJ Dybantsa currently leads the high school basketball rankings with a staggering $4.2 million valuation. Arenas believes that if Bryce earns regular playing time, he could quickly climb those ranks and surpass even Bronny’s earnings.

That said, the path hasn’t been easy for either of James’ brothers. Bronny has struggled to crack the rotation under Lakers head coach JJ Redick during his sophomore year. Meanwhile, Bryce hasn’t logged a single minute on the court this season.

Still, James’ younger son showed promise by committing to the Arizona Wildcats last year, fresh off graduating from Sierra Canyon with a CIF State Championship.

Riding high on a prolific high school career, Bryce was in for a long haul at the Wildcats, but the immense depth of the squad hampered his early footing on the court in his debut collegiate season.

Why did Bryce James decide to redshirt?

By redshirting, Bryce James preserves a year of eligibility, giving him extra time to develop for an eventual NBA draft run. The decision also drew backing from Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd.

“He’s been with us through the summer and now, and the redshirting decision was just a long play to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds,” Lloyd said in an interview with reporter Chancellor Johnson that made the rounds Tuesday. “I have a real strong belief that Bryce is going to be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He’s really shown a lot of progress in just kind of not only learning our system but just physically maturing.”

Bryce James’ redshirt decision aligns with a growing trend among top high school prospects, who increasingly use the extra year to bulk up physically and refine skills against college-level competition without burning eligibility. At 6’6″ and around 190 pounds upon arrival, James needed time to add strength and speed to handle the rigors of Big 12 play—Lloyd noted his “physical maturing” as a key focus.

This move also lets James fully absorb Arizona’s complex system, building chemistry with teammates like K.J. Lewis and Motiejus Krivas during practices and scrimmages. Unlike immediate contributors, redshirting positions him to debut as a polished sophomore in 2026-27, potentially boosting his draft stock amid NBA scouts’ emphasis on ready-made wings.

Despite the depth and the 22-0 record with Bryce James’ contribution, Lloyd could see that the first-year guard has made “huge progress.” Gilbert Arenas is also echoing the same sentiment, while encouraging the 18-year-old James to navigate the turbulent path.