On Sunday, Athlon Sports’ Sean Deveney reported significant news regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie guard, Bronny James.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that’s their (Lakers) plan (to include James in their rotation next year),” a Western Conference executive told Deveney last Thursday.
“I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we’ve seen a lot of tape on (Bronny), and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July.”
“He’s 20 years old, he had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter, and he showed he can shoot the three. If he can show that wasn’t a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him.”
James had his moments with the Lakers in Year 1, netting 17 points against the Milwaukee Bucks off the bench and nine points against the Utah Jazz in eight minutes of action.
The USC product also held his own in the NBA G League, averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds with the South Bay Lakers.
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Still, making James a regular rotation player as a second-year pro, despite him needing more time to develop his offense in the NBA’s minor league, will likely come back to bite Los Angeles.
Fortunately, Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe has the perfect plan for the organization entering free agency.
“(Gary) Payton II appeared in 11 games for the Lakers in the 2017-18 season, having since gone on to become an NBA champion and a proven rotation player,” O’Keefe wrote Sunday.
“His reputation as one of the league’s better perimeter defenders could be of interest to his former team, who now have a full offseason to build a roster around Luka Doncic and LeBron James.”
“The 55th pick is still unproven at the NBA level, though, having appeared in just 27 games for the Lakers this season, where he averaged 2.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 31.3% shooting from the floor and 28.1% from three-point range.”
“Rather than place all their faith in the younger James, why wouldn’t the Lakers go after Payton, who is likely to be gettable on a minimum contract in free agency?”
Payton isn’t the most effective offensive threat, but his championship pedigree and reliable on-ball defense make him a solid role player in the pros.
The Oregon State product was a journeyman to begin his professional career. However, he’s settled in with the Warriors and carved out a solid role with the accomplished franchise in his early 30s.
Payton is slated to become a free agent this summer, presenting Los Angeles with a prime opportunity to avoid promoting James and add a valuable veteran to its roster.
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