The Los Angeles Lakers must move on from Bronny James before the trade deadline. It has been a rough season for the 21-year-old, and it was punctuated by Saturday’s performance. The Lakers were down five players in Portland, including Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. They needed help in the backcourt, but only turned to Bronny for one disastrous stretch before the game was decided.
He entered the game next to his father with 2:10 left in the first quarter. The Lakers were trailing by five, but the lead quickly jumped to 13 by the end of the period. Bronny picked up an assist in the second quarter, and LA got back to within 11 when he was pulled just two minutes in.
This has been the story of the season for Bronny. He struggles to make shots and is a subpar defender. James rates as a below replacement-level player by VORP and has a negative win shares per 48 minutes. The Lakers want to contend for the championship, which all but eliminates Bronny from the rotation. Head coach JJ Redick has been playing two-way players over him, which should tell fans all they need to know.
Lakers have to move on from Bronny James before the trade deadline
Bronny won’t have immense trade value, but the Lakers need depth and perimeter defense. Their cap situation makes things difficult. Rob Pelinka has to get creative. LA has several expiring contracts and needs to upgrade several roster spots to become a legitimate threat in the loaded Western Conference.
The Lakers should have already moved on from Bronny. They waived Jordan Goodwin in the offseason to keep James and Dalton Knecht. The youngsters are not part of the rotation and are not making an impact as Goodwin is thriving on the surprisingly competitive Suns. Los Angeles could use his defense and energy, but Pelinka couldn’t admit he messed up in the draft again.
Bronny is under contract through 2028, but has just $1.2 million guaranteed for next season. Rebuilding teams may use him to sell tickets and hope he transforms into a useful piece. It is a low-risk move that should give him some trade value.
James is averaging 1.5 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.4 steals in 7.1 minutes per game over 23 contests. He is shooting just 32.5 percent from the field and has an abysmal 41.3 effective field goal percentage.
It is difficult for Bronny to fit in. The Lakers need a defense-first guard who is a strong spot-up shooter next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. James doesn’t fit that mold and isn’t dominating in the G League when given chances to run the offense. There is still time for the 21-year-old to improve, but he isn’t ready right now. LA doesn’t have time to wait. They want to win now, and Bronny isn’t helping.
The Los Angeles Lakers should move on from Bronny James before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Fans won’t like it, but it is time. He simply hasn’t shown enough and can’t even stay on the floor when the team is shorthanded. The brutal decision is the right one for the Lakers if they want to seriously contend.