The Los Angeles Lakers still have a roster decision to make before the regular season begins, with 16 players currently competing for 15 available spots. While Dalton Knecht remains the player most commonly viewed as the odd man out, Bronny James has emerged as another name worth monitoring because of the trade interest he has reportedly generated around the NBA.
James is entering his third NBA season and remains a developmental piece for the Lakers, but his value may have increased considerably since he entered the league. According to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney, rival teams have noticed James’ improvement. Los Angeles could potentially receive one or two second-round picks if it decided to move the 21-year-old guard.
Rival Teams Showing Interest
The Lakers have spent the past two seasons developing James into a defensive-minded guard who can complement higher-usage players. Los Angeles has envisioned him as someone who can defend multiple positions, knock down open shots, and provide some secondary ball-handling. Now his progress in that role is apparently attracting attention elsewhere.
Lakers are not looking to dump Bronny to solve their roster crunch. Instead, a trade remains worth monitoring because James may now have enough value across the league to bring legitimate draft capital back to Los Angeles.
One NBA executive who spoke with Deveney indicated that there is legitimate interest in James around the league. The executive specifically pointed to James’ rapid improvement and willingness to embrace his role as reasons teams have taken notice.
“There’s definitely interest there. 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 comments are notable because the executive’s assessment focuses entirely on James as a basketball player rather than everything surrounding his famous last name. James entered the league under an unusual amount of attention. But his development and willingness to embrace a complementary role could now be creating legitimate value around the NBA.
Lakers Have Reason to Keep Developing James
James has yet to establish himself as a consistent NBA rotation player. But the Lakers never drafted him expecting him to become one immediately. His development has always been a longer-term projecT. At only 21, he still has plenty of time to grow into the type of role player Los Angeles has envisioned.
That also helps explain why the Lakers would have little reason to waive James to solve their roster problem. If rival teams are willing to give up one or even two second-round picks for him, Los Angeles would be giving away an asset with actual trade value rather than simply clearing the final spot on its roster.
The Right Deal
The Lakers could still explore including James in a larger deal if the right opportunity becomes available, particularly if doing so helps address a weakness elsewhere on the roster. However, the reported interest in James makes one thing increasingly clear: Los Angeles does not need to treat him as a disposable piece to get its roster down to 15 players.
For now, James appears more likely to begin his third season with the Lakers than somewhere else. But rival teams are showing legitimate interest, and Los Angeles could potentially receive draft capital for him. It’s clear Bronny has shown legitimate improvement. His value across the league is growing beyond his famous last name.
