Bronny James’s rookie season has been an eventful one. James’s career started with plenty of headlines during the NBA Draft before the Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the second round. It stole even more headlines when he took the court with his father, LeBron James, to become the first father and son duo to play in an NBA game on opening night.
Since then, James has had the highs and lows you would expect from a second-round pick, bouncing back and forth between the back end of the Lakers’ bench and the South Bay Lakers of the G League. But with the playoffs approaching, Los Angeles is facing a decision with the 20-year-old that could impact the roster down the stretch.
Bronny James Should Be Released to Create Roster Spot for Playoffs
James has improved as the season has progressed, but as the Lakers get closer to the playoffs, it might be time to release him to create a roster spot. James is on a standard deal after his agent, Rich Paul, insisted he wasn’t signing a two-way contract during the draft, and that could still be the case even as he only plays for Los Angeles at the end of games. But looking at the big picture, releasing James to create room for depth could be a better move.
The Lakers traded away Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic last month and while the Lakers got a potential face of the franchise in the deal, they also left a gaping hole in their frontcourt. Jaxson Hayes has stepped up for the Lakers to fill the center position, averaging 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds and shooting 77.4% from the floor in the 13 games since Davis was traded. But the Lakers’ lack of options behind him is a concern.
Los Angeles wanted to fill this role by trying to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dalton Knecht and draft compensation. The Lakers rescinded the trade after rejecting Williams’s physical, and while they got back Knecht, they also lost their chance at building depth with Alex Len and Trey Jemison as their top options behind him.
Doncic’s struggles on the defensive end also make frontcourt defense a priority for the Lakers. While Hayes has done a good job with 1.2 blocks per game and just 2.5 fouls per game since Davis was traded, they don’t have a rim protector to fill in when he gets into foul trouble.
This is why the Lakers had to make a decision before Tuesday’s deadline. If they had converted James’s contract to a two-way, they could have stashed him in the G League while adding a current free agent such as Mo Bamba, who was released by the Utah Jazz last month but still was averaging a block per game as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
But there’s also a lot of red tape considering James’s previous refusal to sign a two-way contract. The Lakers could have released James and tried to convince him to sign the deal, but that process also subjects him to waivers, giving any team the chance to claim him on his standard deal. There’s also another layer of politics in making this move, but we won’t dive too far into that.
Either way, it’s not an indictment on James’s rookie season as he’s averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 14 games with the South Bay Lakers this season. But the Lakers may need to think about their roster marching into the playoffs, which could require a tough decision.