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AJ Johnson
Pelicans · G · 21
AJ Johnson
vs
2025-26
Bronny James
Lakers · G · 21
Bronny James
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

AJ Johnson vs Bronny James

7-9categories
Johnson · James
AJ Johnson
Johnson
Pelicans
2025-26
James
Lakers
Bronny James
48
Games
availability
42
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
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
20
Season high
12
0
30-point games
0
0
Double-doubles
0

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Johnson · last 5
Sun, Apr 12 vs CHI20 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Fri, Apr 10 at SAS13 pts · 1 reb · 2 ast
Wed, Apr 8 at PHX4 pts · 1 reb · 3 ast
Tue, Apr 7 at LAC1 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast
Fri, Apr 3 vs ORL2 pts · 1 reb · 0 ast
James · last 5
Sat, May 9 vs OKC2 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Thu, May 7 at OKC0 pts · 0 reb · 1 ast
Tue, May 5 at OKC0 pts · 0 reb · 1 ast
Fri, May 1 at HOU0 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Sun, Apr 26 at HOU5 pts · 2 reb · 4 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 · Gary Harris · Pat Connaughton

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).