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Bryce James, the younger son of LeBron James, committed to Arizona on Wednesday, joining the Wildcats’ 2025 recruiting class.
James, 17, is a three-star recruit and the No. 257 player in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, he had other offers from Ohio State and Duquesne, according to 247Sports.
He announced his commitment in a post on Instagram.
James averaged 6.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14 games this summer playing for his father’s AAU program, Strive for Greatness, on the Nike EYBL circuit. He then averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in five games at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in July.
James’ older brother, Bronny, played one season of college at USC before he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in June. LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together in October.
Bryce James is the second commitment in Arizona’s 2025 class, joining four-star wing Dwayne Aristode.
Scouting report on Bryce James
As a prospect, Bryce James is less developed than his older brother was at this point in their respective careers — which is notable, since Bronny was still relatively ineffective as a high-major freshman. Both are about the same size, roughly 6-foot-5, but Bronny has always been more physically developed than Bryce, both from a strength and athleticism perspective. It would be shocking, given what Bryce has shown thus far in terms of productivity, if he played a major role as a freshman next season. The Wildcats also have a few players on the wing eligible to return next season: KJ Lewis (sophomore), Tobe Awaka (junior), Carter Bryant (freshman), and Aristode (top-30 recruit).
Before committing to Arizona, the only two major players in Bryce’s recruitment were Duquesne — where LeBron James’ close friend and former high school teammate, Dru Joyce III, is head coach — and Ohio State, which is less than two hours away from LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio.
This is not to say that Bryce will never be an impactful college player, but even compared to Bronny — who would have benefitted developmentally from at least one, if not more, additional years in college — this is going to be a long-term process for the Wildcats. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd has proven to be an apt talent evaluator and developer, but this commitment feels much more like a multi-season developmental play than one geared toward meaningful contributions next season. In the EYBL this summer, Bryce had multiple contests where he hardly registered on a box score. That just isn’t going to cut it at the high-major level, and especially not at Arizona, which won at least 27 games in each of Lloyd’s first three seasons as head coach.
In terms of play style, Bryce is even more of a strict off-ball player than Bronny was. Bryce is marginally taller than Bronny, and given his age, there’s absolutely the potential he keeps growing (although it seems unlikely he’ll be 6-foot-9 like his famous father). That frame, combined with the shooting touch Bryce has showcased at various lower levels, suggests he could eventually become a perimeter floor-spacer, although he’ll need to become much more coordinated defensively to guard opposing high-major wings. But even that projection is more predicated on Bryce’s tools than his actual on-court production to date. There’s no understating how far away Bryce is from being a productive high-major freshman, not to mention a potential NBA player one day. — Brendan Marks, college basketball writer
What’s next for Arizona?
Lloyd and staff are waiting for a prized recruit in the 2025 recruiting class to make his decision: five-star forward Koa Peat.
Peat, an Arizona native, cut his list to five in early November: Baylor, Arizona State, Arkansas, Arizona, and Houston. Although Houston is unlikely to sign him due to the Cougars landing five-star Chris Cenac, it is among his finalists. There is no timetable for his decision, but Arizona needs Peat to finish out its 2025 class on a strong note ahead of the transfer portal period.
The Wildcats will lose their first and third leading scorers, Caleb Love and Trey Townsend, so Peat would be expected to play a major role next season. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward could be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
(Photo: Cassy Athena / Getty Images)
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