Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

AJ Johnson vs Bronny James

7-9categories
Johnson · James

2026-27 has too few games to compare these two yet, so this page shows 2025-26, the last full season for both.

Johnson

Pelicans

2025-26

James

Lakers

Games

availability

9.4

Minutes

per game

8.9

3.3

Points

per game

2.9

1.1

Rebounds

per game

0.5

1.0

Assists

per game

1.2

0.3

Steals + blocks

per game

0.6

Turnovers

per game · lower is better

0.6

32.4%

Field goal %

40.9%

21.1%

Three-point %

1.2 vs 1.4 attempts

38.6%

85.0%

Free throw %

85.7%

41.3%

True shooting

TS%

51.7%

19.5%

Usage

USG%

16.3%

15.1%

Assist %

of teammates' baskets

19.5%

5.7%

Rebound %

of available

3.2%

-6.4

Net rating

on court

-8.0

4.5%

PIE

player impact estimate

5.8%

-1.1

Plus-minus

per game

-1.0

Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

AJ Johnson scored more in 2025-26, 0.4 points a game apart (3.3 vs 2.9), on Johnson's heavier usage (19.5% vs 16.3%).

James is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 51.7% to 41.3%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to James (1.2 vs 1.0 assists), the glass to Johnson (1.1 vs 0.5 rebounds).

With Johnson on the floor his team outscored opponents by -6.4 per 100 possessions, against -8.0 for James; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Johnson $3.2M through 2027-28, James $2.3M through 2027-28. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs

Johnson

2025-26

James

9-39

Record when playing

24-18

5.1

Points at home

2.1

2.0

Points on the road

4.1

5.3

Points in wins

2.5

2.9

Points in losses

3.4

Season high

30-point games

Double-doubles

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →

Johnson · last 5

Fri, Nov 6 vs MIN0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Wed, Nov 4 vs UTA0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Mon, Nov 2 at MEM0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Sat, Oct 31 vs ATL0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Thu, Oct 29 vs SAC0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

James · last 5

Wed, Nov 4 at SAC0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Mon, Nov 2 vs MIA2 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Sun, Nov 1 vs TOR0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Fri, Oct 30 at GSW0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Wed, Oct 28 at LAC0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Johnson · contract

2026-27$3.2M

2027-28$5.5M

James · contract

2026-27$2.3M

2027-28team option$2.5M

More comparisons

pick any two players →

Johnson vs
Tyus Jones · Bronny James · Cam Christie · Noah Penda

James vs
Tyus Jones · Cam Christie · AJ Johnson · Chaz Lanier

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).

Johnson · James · from the live data

Their teams right now

New Orleans PelicansAJ Johnson's team

Next game@ LACSun, Nov 8 at the ClippersPreview, TV and expected starters The Shift1 outWho plays Missi's minutesWithout Missi: the rotation that's left On / offJohnsonThe Pelicans with and without himNet rating from every substitution Injury report1Player on the reportOut: Yves Missi

Los Angeles LakersBronny James's team

Next game@ DETSun, Nov 8 at the PistonsPreview, TV and expected starters The ShiftRotationWho's playing the minutesStarters and minutes shares right now On / offJamesThe Lakers with and without himNet rating from every substitution Injury report1Player on the reportStatuses and return dates, every 15 minutes