How Bronny James became the last survivor of Lakers' 2024 draft class — and why that's not a good thing

With his father on the 76ers, James still kept his Lakers roster spot over first-round pick Dalton Knecht On Monday, JJ Redick revealed that Bronny James and Dalton Knecht were both excused absences from practice on Monday. Both were ill, a statement The Athletic felt compelled to confirm in a follow-up report because, well, it seemed more like they both had a concerning case of Roster Bubble-itis. The Los Angeles Lakers spent most of the offseason with 16 players under standard contracts. Monday was the deadline to trim the roster down to 15, and the two likeliest candidates to get moved were their two 2024 draft picks. Redick himself said that he didn't think James played well in the preseason.

He shot just 4-of-16 from the floor, and the Lakers lost his 82 minutes by 31 points. Yet the bar, apparently, was even lower, as it was ultimately Knecht, the No. 17 pick in that 2024 class, who was waived. All told, the pair of them and everything that has followed amounts to an abject disaster of a draft class for Rob Pelinka. Consider the following: At least to this point, the 2024 draft class has been a failure at every level. The Lakers picked the wrong players, developed them poorly and mismanaged the process of moving on from them.