The Lakers' newest addition pushed their roster one contract over the limit, and Bronny James could be the player who pays for it.
Bronny James spent his second NBA season showing real growth, but a move made far above his pay grade may now decide where he plays his third.
The Lakers agreed to terms with veteran wing Matisse Thybulle on a one-year deal Monday, and the signing quietly pushed the roster to 16 standard contracts.
League rules only allow teams to carry 15 players on standard deals into opening night, so somebody has to go before the season begins, and much of the early speculation has centered on the 21-year-old guard whose famous father just walked out the door in free agency.
Why the Thybulle Signing Squeezes Bronny
Thybulle is a two-time All-Defensive Team selection who remains one of the most disruptive perimeter defenders in basketball, and he racked up 60 steals in just 30 games for Portland last season.
He arrives on a veteran's minimum deal, exactly the sort of low-risk defensive bet contenders love to make in late July.
There is a reason why the Thybulle signing is a perfect move for a team rebuilding its identity around defense.
The problem is the math that comes with him.
"The Lakers' addition of Matisse Thybulle gives the Lakers 16 contracts, which could theoretically result in the Lakers cutting ties with Bronny James via either trade or waivers," John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote. "Waiving and stretching Bronny's $2.2 million deal would put the team under the luxury-tax line."
Bronny is not the only candidate to be moved, but his salary is the easiest to stretch, and his role remains the most uncertain on a team predicting a crowded rotation next season.
The LeBron Factor
LeBron James ended his eight-year run with the Lakers this month and remains unsigned, with Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and Golden State among the teams chasing him.
The Lakers guaranteed Bronny's $2.2 million salary one day before his father announced he was leaving, a timeline that now looks awkward at best.
"Until the elder James signs, there will be assumptions that his son and former teammate eventually follows him to his next destination," CBS Sports' Sam Quinn wrote.
Any team hoping to lure the four-time MVP could view a trade for his son as a helpful sweetener, which gives the Lakers a reason to wait rather than simply cutting the young guard loose.
What Bronny Showed in Year Two
The frustrating part for Bronny is that he was trending upward.
He appeared in 42 games and shot 38.6 percent from three this past season, major jumps from a rookie year in which he shot barely 31 percent from the field, and he held his own during the Lakers' summer league run before it ended with a semifinal loss to the Warriors on Saturday.
Los Angeles still has one open avenue to finish the roster, and nothing forces a decision until late October.
The front office has months to find a trade, but the clock on Bronny's Lakers career is officially running.
