LeBron James Is Leaving the Lakers. Bronny Could Go With Him.

The LeBron James era in Los Angeles is over. The Lakers announced his departure earlier this week, and now the question is whether his son follows him out the door.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Bronny James could join his father’s next team, wherever that ends up being. LeBron has said multiple times how much playing alongside his son meant to him, especially late last season when they shared meaningful minutes in competitive playoff games. The James family, according to McMenamin, would probably want that to continue.

LeBron made his decision to leave the Lakers just one day after the team guaranteed Bronny’s contract for the 2026-27 season. That’s a $2 million-plus commitment from the Lakers for a player who averaged 4.8 points in limited minutes as a rookie.

Why Bronny Might Stay in LA

There’s a scenario where Bronny stays put. McMenamin pointed out that if the Lakers keep him, he’d keep developing under head coach JJ Redick, who has spent real time working with the 21-year-old guard. He’d also be surrounded by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Adou Thiero — guys he’s built strong relationships with.

Bronny was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft after one season at USC. A lot of analysts thought the Lakers took him because of his dad. Not exactly a hot take given how that worked out.

The father-son duo actually played together in the playoffs this year. They posted positive minutes during the Lakers’ series win over the Houston Rockets, which was a cool moment even if it didn’t last long.

What’s Next for LeBron

LeBron is drawing interest from the Golden State Warriors and a handful of other teams. He’s made it clear he wants to play for a contender. So the question is whether the Lakers — who just re-signed Bronny — want to keep him as a development project or let him walk to keep the family act going.

The team has not commented on Bronny’s future. But the timing of LeBron’s exit and Bronny’s guaranteed contract feels like more than coincidence. It feels like a decision point.