Bryce James, LeBron's son, to redshirt freshman season at Arizona

Top-ranked Arizona will hold off on playing the youngest James son this season.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 9:31pm

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Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd announced that the school will redshirt freshman Bryce James, the youngest son of NBA legend LeBron James, for the 2026 season. Lloyd cited the decision as a "long play" to give Bryce the most options for his future career, noting that he has shown a lot of progress but was not expected to be a contributor this season.

Why it matters

Bryce James, as the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time, has drawn significant attention and interest. While he was not ranked highly as a recruit, the decision to redshirt him allows Arizona to develop him further and provide him the best path forward in his college and potentially professional basketball career.

The details

Bryce James was the 324th-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class and has yet to see any game action for the 22-0 Wildcats this season. Arizona is graduating three seniors from its current rotation, and the team's leading scorers, freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat, are likely candidates to enter the 2026 NBA Draft. This would leave Arizona with three returning contributors - freshmen Ivan Kharchenkov and Dwayne Aristode, and junior center Motiejus Krivas. The Wildcats have also secured a commitment from four-star shooting guard Cameron Holmes and may look to the transfer portal and overseas to add more perimeter depth.

  • On Tuesday, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd announced the decision to redshirt Bryce James for the 2026 season.

The players

Bryce James

The youngest son of NBA legend LeBron James, who was the 324th-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting class and has yet to see any game action for Arizona.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team, who announced the decision to redshirt Bryce James for the 2026 season.

LeBron James

An NBA legend and the father of Bryce James.

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What they’re saying

“The redshirting decision was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds.”

— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona Wildcats (The Big 12 Network)

What’s next

Arizona will look to add more perimeter depth through the transfer portal and overseas recruiting to supplement their roster for the 2026 season.

The takeaway

Bryce James, as the son of an NBA legend, has drawn significant attention, but Arizona is taking a patient approach to his development by redshirting him for the 2026 season. This decision allows the Wildcats to build up their roster while giving Bryce the best opportunity to succeed in his college and potentially professional basketball career.