Third-year guard Bronny James didn’t show out in his first preseason game of the year for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the 21-year-old might have done enough to save himself from a trade or roster cut before the regular season begins.
Though James’ position as the Lakers’ final roster cut isn’t at the same level compared to guys like Jaden Hardy or Dalton Knecht, there’s still an outside chance the team waves him before the season begins.
Additionally, recent reports indicate the Lakers could trade the son of LeBron James before the season starts, but the young guard may have saved himself from that fate after what was seen in the team’s preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings.
Bronny James Gets Unexpected Trade, Roster Cut News After Preseason Game
Again, though James isn’t on the same tier as Knecht or Hardy in terms of the pressure of being the Lakers’ final roster cut, he can’t be ruled out as the last player the team waives to get to the 15-man roster limit set by the league.
However, after the Lakers’ first preseason game against the Kings, James could be saving himself from a trade or roster cut before the regular season starts.
When writing about his takeaways from Los Angeles’ Monday night win over Sacramento in what was the first time a majority of this new-look roster was seen on the court in a competitive setting, Svyatoslav Rovenchuck believes ‘Bronny James is closer to the Lakers rotation than getting cut or traded.’
“One of the biggest storylines that has been following the Lakers throughout the offseason involves questioning how they intend to finalize the roster. For anyone thinking it would come in the form of getting rid of Bronny James, that appears to be a tough sell after Monday night.”
James only shot 1/5 from the field, scoring three points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out two assists in 16 minutes. However, by getting put into the game before guys like Knecht and Hardy, Rovenchuk thinks James ranks ahead of those two for saving himself from the final roster cut, and could be even closer to finding himself playing more minutes in the Lakers’ upcoming campaign.
“James saw the court before Jaden Hardy or Dalton Knecht. Those are both guys many have assumed are competing with him to stay on the roster,” he added. “If the matchup against the Kings was an indicator, Bronny is leading that group. Hardy did not see minutes until the third quarter. Knecht only touched the floor in the fourth. James looks to be fairly safe by comparison to those Lakers peers.”
Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report also felt James did enough to at least get closer to solidifying himself on the Lakers roster rather than becoming a trade or cut candidate.
“While the USC product certainly didn’t take over as a scorer, he impacted the game in other ways by crashing the boards and dishing out multiple assists,” he wrote. “He also hit from three-point range. That three-point shooting will be important if he is going to earn playing time this season, as the defensive attention Dončić draws should create a number of open looks.”
One preseason game does not guarantee anything, however. James could still very well be the one name the Lakers cut ties with before the season, or even trade to find a roster upgrade.
Could The Lakers Move The Young Guard Before The Season?
At first, the Lakers trading James might sound unrealistic. He hasn’t proved much in the NBA so far, and many think his value still stems from his name rather than anything he’s shown on the court through his first two seasons in the league.
That’s reasonable, but according to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, many rival teams don’t see James that way.
“Other teams have taken notice of James, too, though,” Deveney reported. “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 out a Bronny James trade, not because the Lakers are seeking to dump 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. He’s gotten much better in a short period.”
“There’s definitely interest there,” one executive reportedly told the insider. “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.”
In the time since that report, teams like the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and Phoenix Suns have all emerged as potential trade partners with the Lakers for James.
Still, for now it’s just rumors and buzz, nothing confirmed yet.
It remains to be seen how much value Los Angeles feels James has. On the outside, they remain committed to him. But if that were truly the case, he wouldn’t be named alongside Knecht and Hardy as one of the top candidates to be off the roster before the season starts.
It’s also uncertain if a trade is best for James’ career in the NBA. He has a spotlight playing in the Purple and Gold, but he could see a bigger role and more room to grow on a different team.
If the Lakers are serious about trading James, despite what his preseason box score against the Kings shows, that could make him a viable candidate to be moved. But at the same time, if the Lakers feel he played well, that might give them another reason to keep him around.
For the time being, James is on the Lakers and has a guaranteed contract for the 2026-27 season, but that doesn’t guarantee his safety on the roster for the next few weeks or months.
Bronny James Gets Unexpected Lakers Trade News After Preseason Game