The NBA season is set to tip off Tuesday night with a two-game slate featuring the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder against the Houston Rockets, followed by the Golden State Warriors traveling to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
Ahead of the action, the Lakers officially released their injury report. After missing the final two preseason games due to an ankle injury and logging only a modified practice on Sunday, second-year guard Bronny James is officially off the injury report, likely signaling that he will be ready for the team’s opener — a positive start to his second year in the league.
Currently, the only players ruled out are rookie Adou Thiero, as expected, and veteran superstar LeBron James, who will miss the first week or two of the season due to sciatica. Los Angeles plans to take it slow with LeBron, who will turn 41 in December.
More NBA: Lakers Lap Knicks in New NBA Franchise Valuations After Team Sale
Loading twitter content…
More NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo Sends Sharp Warning to NBA Amid Trade Rumors
Bronny was selected with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA draft out of USC. He struggled to carve out a consistent role with the Lakers last season as a rookie but found immense success in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 21.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds.
He also showed significant progress this offseason during the NBA Summer League, demonstrating strides not only as a scorer and a more ball-dominant player but also defensively — one of his key strengths scouts noted coming out of USC.
That said, performing in the G League or Summer League is very different from becoming a regular rotational player at the NBA level. Still, the opportunity for Bronny to earn meaningful minutes could present itself this season.
Head coach JJ Redick announced the starters against the Warriors will be Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton.
Off the bench, there aren’t many guards ahead of Bronny outside of Marcus Smart, meaning he’ll need to capitalize on any opportunities that come his way. It will be interesting to see if he gets floor time against Golden State.
More NBA: Kevin Durant-LeBron James Career News Turns Heads
