Lakers’ Feelings About Trading Bronny James Come to Light

Once LeBron James let it be known that he wouldn’t be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons with the team, there have been a lot of questions about the immediate future for the storied franchise, as they build a new-look roster around superstar guard Luka Doncic.

One player on the roster who has faced perhaps the most uncertainty in the aftermath of the four-time NBA champion choosing to go elsewhere is Bronny James, who seems very much on the roster bubble moving forward.

Bronny James’ Future With Lakers Hangs in the Balance

During an appearance on 97.1 The Fan, Khobi Price of The California Post offered insight into how the team views Bronny James, as the team must get the roster down to 15 players before the start of next season, meaning at least one player must be traded or waived.

"It would take something REAL for the Lakers to want to trade Bronny... they developed him, they’re a fan of him, and he has A LOT of supporters in the building."@khobi_price joined #BrockandAlex to discuss everything #Lakers offseason & what to look forward to going into the… pic.twitter.com/3mpWW6UBjV
— 97.1 The Fan (@TheFanLA) July 21, 2026

"If LeBron chooses X team, what if X team is willing to send the Lakers, I don't know, a second-round pick for Bronny James? That automatically puts Bronny James as the most likely player," Price said.

However, even though Bronny James could be traded to the team LeBron James signs with if they are willing to send a second-round pick to Los Angeles, the Lakers appear content with the USC product.

Apparently, it would take something “real” for the Lakers to want to trade the third-year guard.

"Now, what I want to make clear is that the Lakers are more than happy to keep Bronny James,” Price said. “… It would take something real for the Lakers to want to trade him.”

Why the Lakers Should Waive or Trade Bronny James

Even though the team is supposedly fine with keeping Bronny James, the backcourt is now crowded with Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy and rookie Cameron Carr joining forces with the dynamic duo of Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the team bringing back Chris Manon on another two-way contract.

That’s three veterans, a promising young rookie and a defensive-minded guard who is clearly liked within the Lakers organization for his effort on both ends of the floor.

Although there’s been some buzz about Hardy, who the team acquired in the Deandre Ayton trade, potentially being the player the team trades or waives, Bronny James might make the most sense, especially if they can get a second-round pick in the process.

At this point, there’s no telling what the Lakers’ next move is, but they’ll be forced to make one or two after agreeing to a one-year deal with Matisse Thybulle.

Lakers Still Interested in Jonathan Kuminga, Bringing in Another Big

Another indication that the Lakers will make more moves this summer is the rumors that the team is still interested in wing Jonathan Kuminga and in adding another big man.

The frontcourt is pretty thin, with the team currently having to rely on three players in Walker Kessler, Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili in the paint.

Although those three players are solid additions, the Lakers need more depth to bolster the team’s presence in the frontcourt.

As for Kuminga, it seems like a stretch that the Lakers will be able to figure out a way to bring him in, as they’ll need to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks to do so. The Hawks recently traded for Luguentz Dort, which could make them less likely to make a deal with the Lakers, especially since they now have to get down to 15 players.

It’ll be interesting to see what path the Lakers take with their roster moving forward, but one thing is for certain: there are more moves to come.

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