The Los Angeles Lakers received even more attention from the NBA globe with the pick of Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft. LeBron James’ eldest kid will now be a teammate, which should be a heartwarming story for basketball fans all around the world. Because of the expectations and emphasis placed on both father and son, Bronny’s coverage has been anything but positive. In fact, some have claimed that he was picked just because he is LeBron’s son.
It’s unfair to draw conclusions about Bronny until he actually plays in an NBA game. After all, if he didn’t have the surname James, many clubs would have been interested in his body and features during the pre-draft process. Obviously, LeBron’s impact and the young James’ lack of output overshadowed his debut in the NBA.
Bronny, according to head coach JJ Redick and executive Rob Pelinka, is a player in whom the whole Lakers organization believes because of his ability to overcome adversity.
“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said during Dalton Knecht and James’ debut press conference on Tuesday. “Bronny has earned it. Bronny discusses his hard effort. Bronny earned it via hard effort. Bronny is case study number one for us in terms of emphasizing player development. There’s a lot to enjoy about his game, including his basic feel, agility, point of attack defense, shooting, and passing abilities.
“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 truth is that Bronny has always worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming an NBA rookie. While he may have received additional guidance from LeBron and had more eyes on him as a result, Bronny was still working hard as a high school student to be recruited at the best level possible.
After suffering a heart collapse last summer before his freshman season at USC and having his basketball future called into question, Bronny worked relentlessly to restore his health and resume his young career. Now he has the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only play with LeBron James in the NBA, but also for perhaps the league’s most iconic organization, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Summer League will be an excellent opportunity for Knecht and James to demonstrate their value as rookies. Redick revealed that both young players are expected to participate in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, but the rookie head coach will not sit out the showcases. Instead, Redick will put together his coaching staff for the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers have a critical offseason ahead of them. This team’s main goal is to compete at the best level possible in order to win another championship, which is why Pelinka and the front office are keeping all options open during free agency.
"Bronny has earned this through hard work… There's a lot to like about his game."
Lakers coach JJ Redick on Bronny James 🗣️
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/rmEwSGZ6ob
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 2, 2024
No matter which players become available in free agency or trade rumors, the Lakers are constantly considered as a potential suitor. Pelinka has been one of the league’s most ambitious executives over the years, and he is not willing to sit back and wait for opportunities to come his way.
“I believe we will always be ambitious in trying to improve our roster. “We’ll be relentless in looking at what we can do,” Pelinka said on Tuesday. “We have 14 people on fixed contracts and one space. This is the season to be cognizant of all of the numerous ways we might approach and strengthen our roster. We are in the midst of that right now.”
NBA free agency started on Sunday evening. The Lakers have yet to make roster changes or upgrades. This includes re-signing LeBron, who opted out of his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. James isn’t going away, and he plans to re-sign with the Lakers on a new contract that includes a player option. However, his price tag is uncertain, since the superstar stated that he was willing to take a pay cut to help the Lakers pursue Klay Thompson.
Thompson’s decision to join the Dallas Mavericks after departing the Golden State Warriors eliminates that possibility. Is there any player for whom LeBron would be prepared to take a salary reduction in order to facilitate a deal between Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office? There is no appropriate response to this issue right now, especially given the Lakers are also discussing potential trade possibilities with a number of other teams.
“I think if the right deal comes along and we have to put in draft picks, we will,” Pelinka said of trade speculations. “We’ve discussed it previously. We’re now in the apron world. We have seen contending or championship-level teams lose players. That is the product of the terrible world we live in. So, does it make trading more challenging? Yes. Does this make excellent trading impossible? No.
“We will continue to pursue upgrades to our roster.”
Less than two weeks before Pelinka and other front office members travel to Las Vegas to meet with other CEOs and front office personnel from throughout the league, the Lakers have been the subject of numerous speculations. D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent are all players whose names have come up in trade rumors this summer, and it is not difficult to imagine the Lakers making a move by the end of July.
Pelinka has made it apparent that the organization would be aggressive, which might lead to a trade for the Lakers.
