I am endlessly fascinated by incoming USC freshman Bronny James, which admittedly is not saying all that much given the fact that his father, Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James, is the most famous athlete of the 21st Century and has been my favorite NBA player since I was 11 years old. Between Bronny's recent health scare, his improving on-court game, and the unfair expectation  that he will somehow be able to both protect and carry on the family legacy that his father has built, it's fair to say Bronny is one of the most discussed amateur athletes alive right now.

Here's a hypothetical question I've been asking myself and other basketball fans I know for two solid years now: if LeBron James were to come out publicly and say “I'll be declining my player option and signing with whatever team drafts my son,” one week before the 2024 NBA Draft, what would that do for Bronny's draft stock? If Bronny is considered a fringe 1st round pick at the moment, would this catapult him into the lottery? Into the top ten? Would teams actually trust LeBron at his word, or would they be concerned it was all just posturing to get Bronny drafted higher? And what would this mean for the Lakers, who may not even have their own pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

One writer who covered LeBron James extensively during his days in a Cleveland Cavalier uniform has an answer for this hypothetical. Joe Vardon of The Athletic recently wrote a mammoth, must-read feature on LeBron James, who is entering his 21st season in the NBA (h/t Matt Levine of Sports Illustrated). In the piece, Vardon included this bit of insight:

“If he declines a $51 million player option, James could be a free agent next summer. The serious health issue that befell his son Bronny over the summer and potentially delayed his entrance into the NBA Draft could be the single biggest factor affecting James’ free agency. He would want to be able to play on the same team as his son, if it’s possible, but even if Bronny is in the draft (he intends to play at some point this season as a freshman for USC), most observers believe the Lakers will find a way to make sure that happens in Los Angeles.”

How the Lakers will pull this off remains to be seen. Six years into his tenure with Los Angeles, LeBron has solidified himself as a true Laker great, so one would assume it would be harder for him to leave now than it would've been three years ago. Some of the biggest milestones of LeBron's milestone-laden career have happened in the purple and gold. Plus, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has pulled a rabbit out of a hat once already, turning an abysmal Lakers roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis into a very competitive, championship-caliber one in a very short period of time. Would LeBron really leave all of that behind to go play in Charlotte or Houston or Washington or Utah simply because that's where Bronny ended up?

Only the King would have the answer to that hypothetical question.