By Shams Charania, John Hollinger, Hunter Patterson and Lauren Merola
Lakers rookie Bronny James had a “surreal” week since being drafted by Los Angeles with the fifty fifth decide within the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, he stated alongside Dalton Knecht on the rookies’ introductory information convention Tuesday.
“(I’m) simply attempting to take all of it in,” James stated. “(I’m) extraordinarily grateful for every thing that JJ (Redick) and Rob (Pelinka) have given to me and I’ve simply been extraordinarily excited to get to work.”
To that, new Lakers coach JJ Redick stated, “Rob and I didn’t give Bronny something. Bronny has earned this.”
Redick stated each rookies will play in each the California Traditional and Las Vegas summer season leagues. The Lakers’ first summer season league sport is Saturday in San Francisco. They face the Sacramento Kings at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Knecht will put on No. 4, channeling the brand new nickname “Join 4,” and James will put on No. 9.
The Lakers chosen Knecht with the seventeenth decide. The staff requested a exercise with the 6-foot-6, 212-pound wing throughout the draft course of, however his camp declined as a result of it didn’t suppose he’d be obtainable halfway by means of the primary spherical. Redick stated he additionally didn’t suppose Knecht can be there when the Lakers had been on the clock, however the 23-year-old provides one thing to the staff the Lakers “simply don’t have.”
“I do know all of the gamers and groups, however I’m simply excited to be right here in the fitting place and excited to get to work right here and exit and compete,” Knecht stated.
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The Lakers had been shocked and thrilled to land Dalton Knecht with the seventeenth decide
James signed a four-year rookie contract with the Lakers that’s price $7.9 million and features a staff possibility within the fourth season, league sources stated Wednesday.
James is ready to affix his father and NBA all-time scoring chief LeBron James — who plans to re-sign with Los Angeles — although he stated he “by no means actually had a considered me going to play with my dad … that wasn’t a predominant focus of mine.”
The Lakers additionally re-signed guard Max Christie to a four-year, $32 million contract. With LeBron’s impending determination to re-sign, the Lakers can have the utmost 15 gamers with assured contracts.
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This transfer to signal the youthful James limits Los Angeles’ flexibility and all however ensures it must make a commerce so as to add any new gamers.
The Lakers have just a few avenues to accumulate new expertise. If Los Angeles opts to signal a participant to a nontaxpayer midlevel exception or minimal contract, it must make a commerce to create a roster spot or execute a sign-and-trade whereas sending a participant again. The Lakers might additionally commerce for a participant or gamers beneath contract with one other staff, as long as they ship out an equal or higher variety of gamers within the deal.
Why Bronny’s contract is sensible
It’s not a shock that the Lakers signed the youthful James to a roster contract, despite the fact that most late draft picks find yourself on two-ways. For tax groups, nonetheless, rostering a late decide makes a number of sense — we noticed it with the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Bucks’ Chris Livingston, the final two picks within the 2023 draft, a yr in the past. Having their 14th roster spot dedicated to a participant making the rookie minimal minimizes the Lakers’ luxurious tax penalty, and provides them roughly one million {dollars} in further wiggle room under the primary apron, ought to that turn into a problem at any level this offseason. — John Hollinger, senior NBA author
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(Picture: Ronald Martinez / Getty Pictures)