Bronny James sees Lakers path clear after closest rival leaves for Luka Doncic's former team
Nick Smith Jr.'s move to Real Madrid removes one of Bronny's clearest competitors for backcourt minutes in Los Angeles.
Bronny James has been handed a potentially important opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers after Nick Smith Jr. left the NBA to join Real Madrid , the club where Luka Doncic first established himself as a major European star.
Smith had been one of the guards competing directly with Bronny for minutes last season, but the Lakers declined his $2.49 million team option and allowed him to enter free agency.
His next move is now confirmed.
"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," Michael Scotto reported.
"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."
Bronny James gets more room in Lakers rotation
Smith's departure matters because he outperformed Bronny statistically during the previous campaign.
Smith averaged 6.2 points in 12.5 minutes across 30 games, shooting 43.5% from the field. Bronny appeared in 42 games but averaged 2.9 points in 8.9 minutes while shooting 40.9%.
The Lakers nevertheless made their priorities clear on June 29, fully guaranteeing Bronny's $2.3 million salary for the 2026 to 2027 season while declining Smith's option.
Bronny also showed there were no hard feelings about Smith's move, commenting on his former teammate's Instagram announcement: "Damn thats fire bro be great!!!"
JJ Redick has backed Bronny's development
Head coach JJ Redick has repeatedly spoken positively about Bronny's progress, particularly on the defensive end.
"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 said.
"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."
That doesn't guarantee Bronny a major role, but one obvious competitor for minutes is now gone.
Smith has moved to the same European powerhouse where Doncic developed before joining the NBA, while Bronny remains in Los Angeles with another season to prove he deserves a bigger place in the Lakers ' rotation.
