Redshirt for Arizona’s Bryce James? Why the transfer would make sense for LeBron’s son

Arizona guard Bryce James, the son of NBA celebrity LeBron James, has but to play in his crew’s first three video games of the 2025-26 season, together with the Wildcats’ 84-49 win over Northern Arizona on Tuesday. Whereas it is common for gamers not within the common rotation to play in nonconfrence video games in rubbish time, James has but to make an look, creating hypothesis on when or if he’ll play this season. 

After the sport, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd stated that redshirting James and his teammate, Mabil Mawut, is “on the desk.”

“No ultimate choices have been made,” Lloyd stated. “It is powerful. It places you in a troublesome scenario. You play Bryce in a recreation like this [against Northern Arizona] for 3 minutes, it burns a yr of eligibility. I want it was simpler.

“I want there was a set variety of video games you would play a man like they’ve in soccer. I feel that might make sense for a few of these youngsters, however we do not. I need Bryce to have the most effective faculty basketball profession and essentially the most choices in his faculty basketball profession long-term, no matter that appears like. Throwing a child with numerous potential that is growing, he or Mabil, a couple of rubbish minutes — it’d really feel good now, however doubtlessly down the road it may very well be one thing you remorse.”

James, a three-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon Excessive Faculty in Chatsworth, California, dedicated to Arizona earlier this calendar yr after receiving provides from Duquesne and Ohio State. James was not anticipated to play a major position for the Wildcats this season as a result of depth of the roster, which is why a redshirt yr might make sense for his long-term growth as a school participant.

Why redshirting James is the fitting transfer for Arizona

Arizona completed with the No. 2-ranked recruiting class within the 2025 cycle within the 247Sports crew rankings. The Wildcats landed five-star recruits Brayden Burries and Koa Peat and signed 5 extra gamers: Dwayne Aristode, Sidi Gueye, Ivan Kharchenkov, Mawut and James. 

The Wildcats additionally returned key gamers from final yr’s crew like Jaden Bradley, Anthony Dell’Orso, Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas. The quantity of expertise returning and the blue-chip recruits getting into this system created an uphill climb for James to log vital minutes as a freshman.

Throughout Arizona’s first three video games, Lloyd has been using an eight-man rotation. And it is labored. The Wildcats recorded an upset win over reigning nationwide champion Florida through the opening evening of the season, largely due to the play of Peat, who completed with 30 factors towards a stout opposing frontcourt.

Peat and Burries have been within the beginning lineup in every of the primary three video games, whereas Gueye, Kharchenkov and Aristode have all performed in a minimum of two video games — which implies all of these gamers have hypothetically burned their redshirts. Within the case of Peat and Burries, that will not matter a lot as a result of each venture as first-round picks within the 2026 NBA Draft.

Close to the top of Arizona’s win over Utah Tech final week, followers began chanting “We wish Bryce!” And though it could be logical (on the floor) to get James some minutes this season, using a redshirt yr whereas Arizona has a Ultimate 4-caliber roster will profit all events in the long run.

“I’ve been very direct — redshirting is on the desk for him,” Lloyd stated. “That is why he hasn’t performed in a recreation but. In any other case he could be taking part in some minutes in a few of these video games, particularly on the finish. We have now had a number of conversations with Bryce about it. I feel we’re on the identical web page. No ultimate choice has been made. The choice as of now could be to guard his alternative to redshirt. That is the choice that is being made.”

So, in case you’re anticipating James to play a recreation this season, you might have to attend one other yr.