Vernon Maxwell is not a man who minces words, and what he had to say about Bronny James on Thursday should get JJ Redick’s attention before Game 6 tips off tonight.
The two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets, of all teams, is making the case that the Lakers have been leaving points on the table by not trusting LeBron’s son with a bigger role in this series.
And given how the last two games have gone, it is hard to say he is entirely wrong.
Vernon Maxwell Offers Advice to JJ Redick
“Here is some friendly advice to JJ Redick and his coaching staff. The Lakers have not lost when Bronny starts and plays significant minutes,” Maxwell said.
Here is some friendly advice to JJ Redick and his coaching staff. The Lakers have not lost when Bronny starts and plays significant minutes.
— Vernon Maxwell (@VernonMaxwell11) May 1, 2026
The timing of the comment lands in the middle of a series that has completely flipped.
The Lakers cruised to a 3-0 lead, looking completely in control, with Bronny contributing positive minutes off the bench, including a historic moment in Game 3 when LeBron threw him a lob for an alley-oop layup.
That moment marked the first father-to-son assist in NBA playoff history. Redick called it a really cool moment afterward, and the Lakers looked like the favorites to get the job done in four games.
Then Games 4 and 5 happened. Houston won both, holding Los Angeles to 96 and 93 points respectively, and suddenly, a sweep has turned into a Game 6 tonight at Toyota Center.
Austin Reaves returned for Game 5 but shot 4-of-16 from the field, still clearly limited by the oblique injury that kept him out of the first three games. Luka Dončić remains out with his Grade 2 hamstring strain. The offensive burden continues to fall almost entirely on a 41-year-old LeBron.
That is where Maxwell’s point carries some weight. Bronny has shown flashes throughout this series when given room to operate, and his defensive energy has been a genuine asset at moments. He scored five points during a second-quarter stretch in Game 3 that included a three-pointer and the aforementioned alley-oop, and Redick acknowledged afterward that his development has been real.
The problem is that Redick’s rotational decisions have been inconsistent, with Bronny’s minutes fluctuating based on matchups and circumstances rather than a clear role.
Maxwell, who won back-to-back titles with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston in 1994 and 1995, knows something about what it takes to win a playoff series on the road.
His message is straightforward: if the Lakers have been better with Bronny in meaningful minutes, then his presence should be guaranteed.
Tonight is a must-win on the road, and Redick needs every advantage he can find to close this out before the series returns to Los Angeles for a do-or-die Game 7.
