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Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James recently came out with an unprecedented declaration, unlike anything we've ever heard before. The King announced that he is willing to join whichever team in the league decides to draft his son, Bronny James, once he becomes eligible to play in the NBA.
To make the narrative even more intriguing, LeBron also said that he isn't closing the door on a potential return to his beloved Cavs somewhere down the road. James made this statement almost in the same breath as his Bronny declaration.
As it turns out, however, word on the street is that LeBron's recent demands haven't necessarily been met with an abundance of enthusiasm by teams from around the league. A couple of anonymous general managers from opposing teams have expressed their thoughts on this recent development and, quite frankly, LeBron James isn't going to like what they have to say:
“The last thing I’m thinking about is Bron and Bron,” an unnamed Eastern Conference GM told Ric Bucher of Fox Sports. “I doubt it is something I would put a lot of thought into right now.”
While some might think that teams across the league have been scrambling to lay out an intricate plan to draft Bronny James as a 2-for-1 acquisition along with his dad, this does not appear to be the case. At least in the mind of one particular general manager.
He's not alone on this boat, though. Another unnamed GM echoed this exact sentiment about a potential LeBron and Bronny tandem on his own team. In his mind, LeBron's recent declaration was merely his passive-aggressive way of telling the Lakers to go and get Bronny in the draft:
“It’s a leverage play,” said a second Eastern Conference GM. “I don’t see him wanting to leave. He’s out there in Hollywood now. That was what was behind the move out there in the first place.”
It is worth noting that unless there is a major rule change in the draft process, Bronny won't be eligible for the NBA until 2024. He's still a junior in high school right now and will need to spend at least one year out of high school before he becomes eligible for the draft. LeBron, on the other hand, is in contract with the Lakers through next season. The message here could be that LeBron would be willing to sign an extension with LA (for at least up to the 2024-25 season) if, and only if, some sort of Bronny guarantee clause is added to his new deal.
Is this something Rob Pelinka might be willing to consider? Well, as it turns out, this might not be his decision to make. Previous reports suggested that LeBron's relationship with the Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations isn't in the best of places. So much so, that there have been whispers of LeBron potentially having the Lakers get rid of Pelinka:
“I heard that he was trying to get Sam Presti in there to replace Rob,” said the second Eastern Conference GM. “I don’t see that happening, but I could see him trying to get Pelinka out of there.”
Yes, LeBron James yields that much power within the Lakers organization.
If LA does end up firing Pelinka, then it's only logical to assume that his replacement would be someone who's willing to “share” GM duties with LeBron. There is definitely more than a few potential candidates out there that would jump at this opportunity.
Be that as it may, the reality is that, right now, the idea of having LeBron James and his son on the same roster remains a daunting prospect, to say the least:
“The dynamic of managing LeBron alone is a thing,” the first GM said. “Could you imagine managing him while trying to manage his son?”
“I can’t speak for all the other teams, but to plan for a 39-year-old and taking on his son, who I hear is just decent, to make moves for all that, I don’t see it,” said the second GM. “LeBron is still good, but he can’t carry you anymore. The only way I could see doing it is if you needed the box office draw.”
How do you think this will all play out? Will LeBron be able to get his wish? If so, where will he/they do it? It seems that he would prefer to share the spotlight with Bronny in Hollywood, but at the same time, I can also very much see this happening anywhere else.
