The Los Angeles Lakers are dealing with a backup center crisis, and with that, as the team hopes to make a trade for another big man to play in place of Kevon Looney, both Bronny James and Jaden Hardy are officially on the chopping block.
The two guards are sitting outside the Lakers’ rotation, and while they were previously mentioned in trade rumors, moving one of both of them for a new backup center appears to be Los Angeles’ best option at landing a roster upgrade.
James and Hardy have played in just one game each, and as a few potential trade targets have emerged, the Lakers might seriously start to explore dealing the two backcourt players to shore up the biggest hole in the roster right now.
Lakers Urged To Explore Roster Move, Young Player Cut, Or Trade
Speaking on the latest episode of his show after the Lakers’ first loss of the season, Jovan Buha addressed the team’s need for a backup center and firmly said both James and Hardy could be traded for the front office to find a frontcourt upgrade.
“I think the back three guys on the roster, which are [Kevon] Looney, Bronny [James], and Hardy, any of those three, in my opinion, are worth potentially waiving,” Buha said.
“I would not be surprised if they potentially make some sort of move with either a two-way or roster spot to try to add someone because it’s clear that this is a massive hole [on] the roster…I think they probably have to address it via trade ultimately.”
But while the Lakers likely need Looney as extreme Walker Kessler insurance, as he’s the only other true center on the roster, the focus then shifts to James and Hardy, each of whom could be waived or traded to make room for another big man.
“Now Looney, from an experience perspective, you could argue has the most value. So as long as he’s not playing and it’s more so just him as a locker-room guy, sure,” Buha added. “Then it’s Hardy or Bronny. And then I think they’re gonna try to flip Hardy. So Bronny is the one who’s only making a couple million that they could potentially waive.”
The only way the Lakers would waive Hardy or James would mean they can’t find a trade for either, and would add someone like Dwight Powell as a free agent.
It’s uncertain which direction the front office is leaning towards, but after Looney’s poor start, it looks clear both Hardy and James are on the chopping block, as whether it’s getting waived or traded, appears safe on the roster right now.
Does Bronny James Have Trade Value?
On the court, it’s hard to argue James has any trade value. He’s played in one game so far this season and didn’t show a ton of potential during the Lakers’ preseason campaign.
However, while the Lakers failed to trade Dalton Knecht for Jericho Sims, perhaps James could move the needle a bit more. Not that he would automatically become a rotational player for the Milwaukee Bucks on a nightly basis, but as one NBA reporter recently said, his name alone could increase his trade value.
“If I were the Lakers, I’d be trying to trade Bronny right now to some owner who wants to sell some jerseys. I’d rather keep Knecht on the books as possible trade salary than cut him and deal with dead money. The Lakers don’t really need the James brand like other teams do,” Sam Quinn of CBS Sports wrote in a post on X.
With the potential jersey sales, overall revenue, and attention on the team, a rival franchise might value James higher than the Lakers do right now. The Purple and Gold is arguably the most famous NBA team on the planet, and they don’t need the eyeballs James brings compared to a smaller market and tanking team like Milwaukee.
How the Lakers will address the need for a backup center is still uncertain, and while it can also be argued that Hardy could have more value on the trade market, moving either him or James might be the best way for the team to upgrade the roster.
As Buha described, this is a developing situation, but if the Lakers’ front office isn’t already searching the market, they might start to soon.
With that, both James and Hardy shouldn’t feel safe on the roster. The NBA is a brutal business, and if neither knew that already, there’s a good chance they’ll learn that very soon.
Lakers Trade Plans Revealed With Bronny James On Chopping Block