The Los Angeles Lakers have one roster spot too many and roughly a month to fix it.
That is not necessarily bad news for Bronny James.
With training camp approaching, the Lakers are carrying 16 players on guaranteed standard contracts, one above the NBA’s regular-season maximum of 15. California Post’s Khobi Price identified Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt as the three Lakers most likely to be traded or waived before opening night.
Bronny was not among them.
For a player whose roster security has been debated throughout the offseason, that omission matters.
Lakers Have 3 Clear Roster-Cut Candidates
The Lakers’ preferred solution would be a trade, but that is easier said than done.
Vanderbilt and Knecht both carried negative trade-value concerns earlier in the offseason. Vanderbilt’s contract, which pays him $12.4 million this season and includes a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28, was viewed around the league as difficult to move without additional incentive. Knecht’s value also slipped after he fell out of JJ Redick’s rotation and failed to build on the promise of his rookie year.
Knecht averaged 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes last season after putting up 9.1 points per game as a rookie.
That leaves Hardy, acquired from Washington in the Deandre Ayton trade, as a cleaner financial exit if Los Angeles cannot find a deal.
Bronny James Showed Progress Last Season
Bronny’s case is different.
He appeared in 42 regular-season games last season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists in 8.9 minutes while shooting 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range.
Those are modest numbers, but they represented clear progress.
The more encouraging moment came in the first round against Houston.
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves unavailable for Game 3, James played 15 meaningful minutes and finished with five points, four assists and two rebounds while shooting 2-for-5 from the field.
That was not garbage time. Redick trusted him in a playoff game when the Lakers were short on ballhandlers, giving the 21-year-old a chance to show he could function in a real postseason rotation.
Bronny Appears Safer Entering Training Camp
That does not guarantee Bronny a rotation spot this season.
He still has to defend at the point of attack, make open 3-pointers and prove he can handle limited minutes without needing the ball.
But the roster math now appears to be working in his favor.
Vanderbilt is difficult to move because of his contract. Knecht’s trade value has dipped. Hardy offers a cleaner path to roster compliance. Bronny, meanwhile, is inexpensive, young and showed enough progress last season to justify another developmental year.
Earlier in the offseason, James had been mentioned as a possible roster casualty.
The latest reporting points elsewhere.
For Bronny, that is meaningful news before training camp even begins.
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