Former Los Angeles Lakers player Derek Fisher has given his verdict on the team’s decision to keep Bronny James.
Amid a roster crunch at the start of the season, the LA Lakers chose to waive former first round pick Dalton Knecht.
With their decision, they chose to retain the second round pick from the same 2024 Draft, LeBron James’ son Bronny James.
Knecht has subsequently signed with the New York Knicks, and already made it onto their main roster, causing fans to ask whether the Lakers made a mistake.
Meanwhile Bronny James has been seconded to the Lakers’ G-League affiliate, the Coachella Valley Lakers.
Speaking to 97.1 The Fan, Derek Fisher was quizzed about Bronny James being moved to the G-League, amid cynicism over the move.
“It’s not a negative thing that he sells tickets, but he can play basketball, too,” he commented.
Fisher was then taken to task over whether the Lakers should have kept Knecht and released James – but he hit back and pointed out that the two situations are not equal.
The former star noted that Knecht and James fulfilled different roles on the team – and that Knecht was on a higher salary.
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He explained: “It’s a completely different scenario. It’s like keeping a running back over a tight end, those are not the same decisions. You need running backs, and you need tight ends. Dalton Knecht is a tight end. Bronny James is like a third- or fourth-string running back that you may need in emergency situations.
“You wouldn’t keep a tight end on your roster that also costs you more money on your salary cap. That’s another reason why that choice was made.”
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Bronny James has struggled for game time with the LA Lakers this season, and part of that is because the team are healthy, and it is also connected to their impressive 8-2 record.
Fisher points out that if James had been drafted to one of the worst teams in the NBA, he would be getting a lot more of a chance to prove himself.
“Had he gone to a team that is winning 20 or 30 games a year and kind of resetting and rebuilding, then yeah, he’d maybe be getting more playing time with the big club, and it would work out differently for him.”
James scored 22 points for the Coachella Valley Lakers in their season opener, and was subsequently recalled back to the LA Lakers’ roster.