The Lakers’ Bronny James situation has turned into one of the more unusual roster questions around the league, but for now the idea of simply moving on from him doesn’t sound like the direction they’re leaning.
With LeBron James having signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, there has been speculation that Bronny James could wind up in Philadelphia too. Even so, the Lakers don’t appear eager to cut him loose without getting something back in return. The sense around the team is that they still value him as a player, which makes a clean break less likely.
Trevor Lane addressed the situation this way, per Heavy: “Could the Lakers move on from Bronny James? He’s got a team-option next year, so you would just decline that team-option, you could waive him.
That would result in about $2.3 million in dead money sitting in your books. Not the end of the word; that would be just for this season.
… That said, Bronny was actually fairly good last season. Quietly, he shot 39 percent from 3, last year Bronny did,”
That financial piece matters, but so does what Bronny showed last season. According to Lane, he shot 39 percent from 3, and that gives the Lakers a real reason to keep him in the mix rather than treat him like a throw-in.
The bigger picture is pretty straightforward: if the Lakers are making the decision strictly on what helps them most, Bronny still has a case to stay. The only scenario where he gets pushed out is if Los Angeles finds someone better for the end of the bench.
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