One of the things that happens, especially when it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers and/or prominent names in the NBA, is that when something gets reported, it can often get stretched and twisted and taken out of context in such a way that the actual truth of what is being reported winds up in the back seat behind the headline of the aggregators’ social media post. That was the case with Bronny James as a potential trade target on Monday.
The aggregator, Full Court Pass, did not get the words wrong, but failed to note that the quote was attributed to an NBA executive, not to the author. So we want to make clear: There are teams out there with an interest in trading for Bronny James, as we were told, but it’s not as though teams would cough up first-round picks for him. Future seconds? Sure. And for a Lakers team desperately short on assets, that’s worth considering.
Lakers Could Get 2nd Rounder(s) for Bronny James
Again, to be clear, here’s what we are reporting about Bronny James and the Lakers, who have one too many players on the roster and will need to cut one or trade one.
We’ll start with the Lakers, where we reported more than a year ago that the team had interest in developing Bronny James not as the son of a Hall of Fame father but as a 3-and-D point guard who can defend a few positions, knock down shots and run the offense as No. 3 point guard. And they’re doing that.
Other teams have taken notice of James, too, though. The Lakers will need to drop one player from the roster, and the presumption–rightly–is that it’s likely to be Dalton Knecht. But don’t rule outa Bronny James trade, not because the Lakers are seeking to sump him but because he could bring in draft assets–even a second rounder or two, which is what James would bring.
“There’s definitely interest there,” one executive said of other teams nosing around on James. “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.”
Again, we’re not talking first-round picks, and dumping Knecht is still probably the Lakers’ path. But Bronny James being traded because of his own ability and not because of his dad would be a great story.
Lakers Bronny James Trade Interest Gets Reality Check