Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has made it clear for years now that he wants to play with his son Bronny in the NBA, although as time has passed, he has started to soften that stance.
After suffering a health scare last summer, Bronny’s freshman season at USC has not gone how many had hoped or expected. While he has yet to make a decision on returning to school or declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, LeBron recently said that decision is up to Bronny. LeBron also recently criticized the media coverage of Bronny as he falls out of mock drafts.
Regardless, the dream of James playing with his eldest son in the NBA still exists. According to their agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports though, LeBron is hoping it will happen organically and not needing to force his way to a team to make it happen, via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
“I don’t value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation,” the agent for James’ father, LeBron James, told ESPN on Saturday.
What’s more, Paul said, the right team doesn’t necessarily equate to Bronny James landing on a roster with his father — although LeBron James would be “head over heels excited if that were to happen organically,” Paul added.
“LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man,” Paul told ESPN.
Given the comments LeBron has made in the past about playing with Bronny, it is definitely possible that a team drafts him in order to recruit the Lakers star, who can become a free agent if he wants this offseason.
Recent reports indicate that LeBron is angling towards returning to the Lakers this offseason though, so this storyline will definitely be worth monitoring leading up to the draft and free agency if Bronny does declare after he finishes his season at USC.
Lakers could draft Bronny to keep LeBron James happy
One way the Lakers could get LeBron James to stay on the team is to draft Bronny themselves, and reports indicate that is something that is under consideration.
The Lakers own the L.A. Clippers’ second round pick in 2024 and could use it to take Bronny. If Bronny was on the Lakers’ roster then LeBron surely would be willing to stay home and play alongside his son while chasing another championship in the purple and gold.
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