LeBron James’ shrewd tactic could cement Bronny’s NBA future

LeBron James is searching for his next NBA team and the highly-anticipated decision could have implications for his son, Bronny James.

James has reportedly already narrowed down his search to two finalists, but he won’t rush into anything. The four-time NBA champion informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season on Tuesday.

James seemingly calculated the timing of his announcement to the organization as Bronny’s $2.3 million contract with the Lakers became fully guaranteed the day before, making the third-year guard eligible to be traded.

Now, it appears James’ new destination could also signal the end of Bronny’s tenure with the Lakers. NBA insider Dave McMenamin reported a subsequent move could be made with Bronny once James joins a team.

“LeBron has spoken at length about how meaningful it has been to be teammates with his son, and those feelings only grew late last season when they shared the court in competitive games.

“It’s easy to think the James family would want that connection to continue,” McMenamin writes.

If Bronny doesn’t leave LA, he would continue to develop under head coach JJ Redick and glean from the Lakers’ star-studded trio in Luka Doncic, Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves.

James and Bronny became the first-father son duo to play together in an NBA game, first sharing the court as Lakers teammates in October 2024. The pair also became the first father-son pair to take the court in an NBA playoff game.

Bronny has always been evaluated under the microscope of being James’ son, which may be a factor into whether he stays under the bright lights of Hollywood or joins his father via trade.

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