Bronny James is no longer just a name attached to his father’s legacy. Entering his third NBA season, the Lakers guard is drawing real trade interest because teams are starting to buy into what he can do on the floor.
Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney reported that rival front offices have noticed the progress Bronny has made, and one executive said plainly: “There’s definitely interest there,” one executive said of other teams nosing around on James. “He’s gotten much better in a short period. He knows his role, and it’s hard to find young guys who just want to excel in their role”.
The Lakers are not actively trying to move the 21-year-old, but they do have a roster crunch to solve. They currently have more players on standard contracts than they can carry into the regular season, which means at least one move has to be made.
Dalton Knecht has been viewed as the likeliest player to be moved or waived, and Deveney said that still appears to be the most probable outcome. But he also made clear that Bronny should not be taken off the board.
“We’ll start with the Lakers, where we reported more than a year ago that the team had interest in developing Bronny James not as the son of a Hall of Fame father but as a 3-and-D point guard who can defend a few positions, knock down shots and run the offense as No. 3 point guard. And they’re doing that.”
“Other teams have taken notice of James, too, though. The Lakers will need to drop one player from the roster, and the presumption-rightly-is that it’s likely to be Dalton Knecht. But don’t rule outa Bronny James trade, not because the Lakers are seeking to sump him but because he could bring in draft assets-even a second rounder or two, which is what James would bring.”
That’s the key twist here: Bronny might actually have trade value. Deveney suggested he could fetch a second-round pick or two, which would give the Lakers a way to address their roster issue while also adding future assets instead of simply cutting a player.
The Lakers’ development plan has been focused on turning Bronny into a 3-and-D guard who can defend multiple spots, knock down open shots, and handle some playmaking as a third ball-handler. His numbers last season backed up that the work was paying off. After averaging 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 31.3% from the field and 28.1% from three as a rookie, he improved to 2.9 points and 1.2 assists while shooting 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from three across 42 games in 2025-26.
His G League production was stronger still. In 14 appearances last season, he averaged 15.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Bronny has also been leaning into the defensive side of the job this fall. During training camp, he said JJ Redick’s staff has emphasized picking up opposing ball handlers full court, and he’s been working on that against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves while also getting reps as a primary ball handler.
His situation looks different this season for another reason, too. LeBron James left the Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers during the summer, giving Bronny his first real shot to establish himself without his father on the roster.
Bronny recently said his motivation comes from trying to prove himself as Bronny instead of LeBron. If a trade becomes real, it would be the clearest sign yet that he’s doing exactly that.
When the Lakers selected him with the No. 55 pick in the 2025 draft, most of the attention centered on the family connection. Now, if another team is willing to give up draft capital because it believes in his defense, shooting, and growth, the story around Bronny’s career starts to look a lot different.
For now, Knecht still seems like the most likely answer to the Lakers’ roster problem. But for the first time, Bronny James reportedly has real market value, and it’s tied to what he’s done as a player.
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