The LeBron James trade saga has become the new talking point of the offseason. With the Los Angeles Lakers star expressing his intentions to play on a title-contending roster, James hinted at the possibility of being traded this summer. While this could be in the forward’s best interest, it doesn’t necessarily benefit his son, Bronny James.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha shared an interesting statement on this matter while speaking on his podcast, “Buha’s Block”. While addressing the possibility of James getting traded and the impact it would have on Bronny’s position with the Lakers, he said:
“I don’t think it’s LeBron gets traded, and they’re like waiving Bronny. He has a guaranteed contract for the next two years, also. So if the Lakers waive him, they would eat that money.”
“It’s not a lot of money, but still, that’s something you gotta weigh with the cap situation,” Buha said. “Like he’s making less than the typical veteran minimum, for what that’s worth. But I would assume he’s probably going with LeBron somewhere, but I don’t think that’s a guarantee for sure.”
Bronny is coming off his rookie season with the Lakers. As a second-round pick, the USC product shouldn’t have had much pressure to perform. But being the son of an NBA legend comes with its own challenges.
Regardless, the 20-year-old had a solid start to his career. After modest beginnings, Bronny showed a lot of growth during his time in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. This translated into his output in the NBA as well, with the young guard notching a career-high 17 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in March.
As things stand, on the verge of entering his sophomore season, the 20-year-old is expected to play a bigger role in the team’s plans. Given his relatively team-friendly contract, which is guaranteed for two years, the Purple and Gold wouldn’t see a massive roster shakeup by either retaining or moving him.
Buha acknowledged that the Lakers were encouraged by Bronny’s progress over the last season and that it was impressive enough for the team to invest in him. But there certainly are considerations to be made regarding the team’s future with their superstar.
The 20-year-old himself seems to have very little clarity about what the future holds for his father. While James had initially garnered very little interest in potential trade chatter, there appears to be a recent uptick in trade inquiries.
The growing suspicion is that the Lakers would prefer to move on from James, per the forward’s wishes as well. Considering that the team hasn’t made many significant moves to strengthen its roster, apart from signing Deandre Ayton in free agency, the Purple and Gold are certainly not in a position to be considered title-contenders just yet.
With the offseason still underway, the Lakers have the time and opportunity to improve. This also gives them the time to weigh their options regarding James’ future with the franchise.
