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The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million deal for All-Defensive wing Matisse Thybulle on Monday, providing the team with the elite perimeter defender they’d been searching for, and one on a team-friendly, veteran minimum at that.
However, with the addition of Thybulle, the Lakers now have 16 contracts heading into the 2026-27 season — one more than the standard limit — meaning they may be forced to cut somebody before the season starts.
According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, that could be Bronny James. By waiving and stretching his $2.2 million salary for next year, that would be enough for the team to sneak under the luxury-tax line.
With that being said, Hollinger also noted that the more realistic outcome is that sharpshooting guard Jaden Hardy gets left as the odd man out, with him being owed $6 million next season. Beyond Hardy and James, Dalton Knecht ($4.2 million) or Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are two other moveable contracts.
The Lakers could look to trade any of these players — though Hardy’s deal can’t be combined with other contracts in a trade — but if they can’t find any takers before the season starts, they would need to outright release one of them.
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Bronny’s name has come up in trade talks over the last few weeks as the NBA world waits to see where LeBron James lands. LeBron recently told the Lakers that he plans to play elsewhere in 2026-27, making him the biggest free agent on the market, and many have speculated that wherever he goes, Bronny will go too.
Although, The Athletic’s Dan Woike recently shut down those rumors by saying the two players’ futures aren’t tied together and that LeBron’s decision won’t impact Bronny’s status with the Lakers.
Still, with the current roster construction, it’s starting to look like it’s at least possible the Lakers could move on from Bronny before the 2026-27 season.
Bronny averaged just 2.9 points, 1.2 assists, and 0.5 steals in 8.9 minutes per game last year with the Lakers, shooting 41% from the field, and has spent time over the last couple of years in the G League with the South Bay Lakers as well.
Hardy, on the other hand, averaged 9.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 15.8 minutes last year in time split between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards. He may not have the two-way upside of Bronny, but as a career 40% 3-point shooter, he’s arguably a cleaner fit to lead the second unit alongside Collin Sexton, backing up Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
For now, nothing suggests LA will move on from Bronny, but that may change the closer we get to the regular season, and he could realistically be used as a trade chip for whatever team lands LeBron.
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