LOS ANGELES — LeBron James stood off stage, back in the shadows behind the assembled reporters there to see the two newest Lakers, one of whom happens to be his eldest son.

Bronny James, the team’s second-round draft pick sat with first-rounder Dalton Knecht to his right and general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick to his left.

Tuesday marked a big day inside the Lakers’ facility in El Segundo, the organization celebrating its hope for the future while one of the biggest factors in its present watched from the back.

This moment underlined the biggest challenge the Lakers face as they prepare for what’s in front of them — a moment when they feel more heavily invested in the future out of necessity while still trying to wring out every win now.

On one hand, the focus was on the Lakers, to use Pelinka’s words, “launching” the careers of two of the more discussed NBA draft prospects.

In Knecht, the Lakers capitalized on an unexpected draft slide to take the All-American scorer with the No. 17 pick. And in Bronny James, the Lakers made the most discussed No. 55 pick in league history, fueling days of debate about nepotism and pressure.

“Everything has been surreal,” Bronny James said. “I’m trying to take it all in. I’m extremely grateful for everything that JJ and Rob have given to me. I’ve just been extremely excited to get to work.”

Redick was quick to correct his rookie guard.

“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this, right?” he said. “Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work. And for us prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing … there’s a lot to like about his game. And as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”

Redick later said the team is close to hiring a director of player development to oversee things such as nutrition, weight training, recovery and mental wellness.

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