If the Los Angeles Lakers needed any more attention from the NBA world, they got it with their selection of Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft. LeBron James' eldest son will now be his teammate in what should be a feel-good story for basketball fans around the globe. Due to the expectations and spotlight placed upon both father and son, Bronny's coverage has been everything but a feel-good story. In fact, many have gone as far as to say that the only reason he was drafted is because he is LeBron's son.
Until Bronny actually sees the court in a meaningful NBA game, it is quite harsh to jump to conclusions. After all, plenty of teams would have been intrigued by his physique and characteristics throughout the pre-draft process if he didn't have the last name James. Obviously, LeBron's influence and the young James' lack of production overshadow his entrance into the NBA.
For head coach JJ Redick and executive Rob Pelinka, Bronny is a player the entire Lakers organization believes in because of how he has overcome adversity.
“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick stated at Tuesday's introductory press conference for Dalton Knecht and James. “Bronny has earned this. Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as case study one. His base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing — there's a lot to like in his game.
“As we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he's going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”
The fact of the matter pertaining to Bronny is that he has always worked for his status of becoming a rookie in the NBA. While he may have had extra guidance from LeBron and had extra eyes on him as a result, Bronny was still the one putting in work as a high schooler trying to be recruited at the highest level possible.
After suffering cardiac arrest last summer ahead of his freshman season at USC and having his basketball future questioned, Bronny worked tirelessly to get his health back where it needed to be in order to resume his young career. Now, he has the opportunity of a lifetime to not only play alongside LeBron in the NBA, but for arguably the league's most historic franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Summer League will be a great time for Knecht and James to prove their worth as rookies. Redick confirmed that both young talents are expected to play in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, yet the rookie head coach will not be on the sidelines for the showcases. Instead, Redick will be assembling his coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers as a whole have an important offseason ahead of them. This organization's only goal is to compete at the highest level possible in order to win another title, which is why Pelinka and the front office are keeping all of their options open in the midst of free agency.
Rob Pelinka's plan for Lakers in free agency, trade talks
No matter what players become available in free agency or trade rumors, the Lakers are always mentioned as a possible suitor. Pelinka has been one of the more aggressive executives in the league through the years, and he is not prepared to sit back and wait for opportunities to come his way.
“I think we are always going to be aggressive to try and make roster upgrades. We'll be relentless to look at what we could continue to do,” Pelinka said on Tuesday. “We have 14 guys on guaranteed contracts with one space. This is the season of being mindful of all of the different things we can approach and improve the roster. We are in the midst of that as we speak.”
NBA free agency began on Sunday evening. The Lakers have yet to make any roster moves or upgrades. This includes re-signing LeBron after he opted out of his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. James is not going anywhere, and he intends to re-sign with the Lakers on a new deal that will contain a player option. However, what his price tag will be is unknown after the superstar made it clear that he was willing to take a pay cut for the Lakers to pursue Klay Thompson.
That is no longer a viable scenario, as Thompson decided to join the Dallas Mavericks after leaving the Golden State Warriors. Is there another player that LeBron would be willing to take a pay cut for in order for Pelinka and the Lakers' front office to make a deal happen? There is really no right answer to this question at this time, especially since the Lakers are also talking with numerous teams about potential trade scenarios.
“I think if the right deal comes and we have to put in draft picks, we will,” Pelinka stated regarding trade rumors. “We've talked about it before. We are now in the apron world. We've seen contending teams or championship-level teams have to lose players. That's a result of the apron world we are living in. So, does it make trades more challenging? Yes. Does it make good trades impossible? No.
“We will continue to pursue upgrades to our roster.”
The Lakers have been involved in plenty of rumors less than two weeks before Pelinka and members of the front office head to Las Vegas, where they will meet with other executives and front office personnel around the league. D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent are all players who have heard their names dangled in trade chatter so far this offseason, and it is not hard to envision the Lakers pulling off some sort of move by the end of July.
Pelinka has made it clear that the organization will be aggressive, and in doing so, a trade could be on the horizon for the Lakers.
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