The Los Angeles Lakers are set to enter the 2026 offseason with a plethora of holes to address through the draft, trades, and free agency. Assuming that Deandre Ayton, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart decline their player options this summer and Rob Pelinka elects not to pick up Nick Smith Jr.'s club option, LA would have six players under contract.
With Austin Reaves likely to re-sign with the Lakers and potentially LeBron James too, that will eat up a large portion of LA’s open cap space. This is why Pelinka will have to be selective and smart when spending this summer. The Lakers general manager can’t afford to sign players that aren’t needed.
With a free agency class that is loaded with quality backup guards, it may be hard for Pelinka to steer clear, but he must. The Lakers need to realize that as Bronny James enters year three, it’s his time to back up Luka Doncic.
Having Bronny James back up Luka Doncic makes sense in every way
Outside of retaining Reaves and LeBron, the Lakers have major needs at the center spot and on the wing. In the Luka era in LA, they haven’t surrounded him with a high-level two-way wing, and the same story goes for the center spot. Addressing those two areas this summer is a necessity and something Pelinka can’t neglect.
On the flip side, an area that just doesn’t need addressing is the backup point guard spot, and not just because of Bronny. When you have a superstar like Doncic, and you get to the playoffs, he is going to be playing 40 minutes per game regularly. For that reason, splitting those point guard reps between Bronny and AR, when Luka is on the bench, is much more cost-effective than signing someone.
It’s also worth noting that if both LeBron and Marcus Smart are retained, it gives LA two more players who can be initiators and lead ball handlers in certain lineups.
The only reason for giving Bronny that backup point guard role isn’t just about money—I truly believe he’s earned that spot. It’s easy to forget, because he is the son of arguably the greatest player ever, that he not only was the 55th pick in 2024, but he also dealt with heart issues during his college career.
For him to be where he was at the end of the season — with a really high IQ and showcasing himself as a good defender, solid playmaker, plus a strong driver — is very impressive.
Giving him another offseason full of work and grinding to get better and really improve his jumper should allow him to blossom into exactly the type of guard you want backing up Luka. When “The Don” is on the court, the offense is elite, and the defense can be shaky.
When Bronny comes in, it’s a total level change to straight chaos, with the defensive energy and athleticism he brings. That change of pace can throw teams off and help the Lakers go on quick runs and take control of games.
The 2025-26 season was a year full of development for Bronny, and that will carry into the summer. The 2026-27 can be the breakout year, but only if he is given the backup point guard role.
Add us as a preferred source on Google