Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this offseason, and with his son, Bronny James, declaring for the NBA Draft, some teams may be willing to draft Bronny with the intent of luring LeBron.
However, any teams with plans of achieving that goal may be in for a rude awakening.
As much as LeBron wants to play with his son, he is not going to leave the Lakers and join another squad in free agency just because the team took Bronny, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Bronny is certainly not a top prospect, as he averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 19.3 minutes per game at USC this past season, posting 36.6/26.7/67.6 shooting splits. Those definitely are not impressive numbers.
Typically, a player like Bronny wouldn't even be drafted or may end up getting picked up in the late second round. However, these circumstances are obviously different given who his father is.
Teams think that bringing in Bronny would provide them with a greater chance of signing LeBron. Plus, there may also be the thought that Bronny may have a higher ceiling than his numbers indicate given his genetics.
The Lakers own the 17th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft next month, and there have been rumblings they could actually select Bronny in order to prevent any chance of LeBron leaving this summer. They also may feel they can develop Bronny, per Charania.
It's hard to imagine LeBron James leaving the Lakers
When LeBron signed with the Lakers back in 2018, it was more than just a basketball decision. It was a business decision.
James was surely thinking of life after basketball, which was why he joined a team that, at the time, clearly was not ready to contend for a championship. Obviously, Los Angeles did acquire Anthony Davis that following offseason, and LA proceeded to win a title in 2020.
But James definitely has business interests in Hollywood. Plus, he has already won four championships and recently became the NBA's all-time scoring leader. He doesn't have much left to accomplish as a basketball player other than tying—or passing—Michael Jordan's six rings, but that is probably out of the question at this point.
LeBron is apparently only going to play two more years, Charania notes. So at best, James can draw even with Jordan, but barring major changes for the Lakers this offseason, the chances of Los Angeles actually winning back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026 seem slim to none.
Plus at the age of 39, does James really want to pick up and move again?
He has already moved three different times during his NBA career: from Cleveland to Miami in 2010, from South Beach back to Cleveland in 2014 and then to Tinseltown. He established his championship legacy in Miami, followed through on his promise by bringing a title to Cleveland and then won another championship for glory with the Lakers.
Unless LeBron really wants to chase more rings with a team that is already in serious title contention (which seems unlikely at this juncture), he isn't going anywhere.
The Lakers may end up drafting Bronny in order to placate LeBron. Or maybe they'll sign him as an undrafted free agent. Heck, maybe they won't bring him aboard at all. But evidently, it won't be influencing LeBron's decision either way.
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