Bronny to the Lakers? LeBron James’ Increases Stakes on 19YO Son’s Future With Latest Statement at NBA All-Star Presser

LeBron James will go down in the history of the NBA as one of the greatest, if not the greatest players ever. Over his illustrious 21-season career, LeBron has won four NBA titles, four NBA MVP awards and several All-Star and All-NBA accolades. He has won everything there is to win in the NBA. Yet, one of his long-held dreams remains unaccomplished: sharing an NBA court with his eldest son, Bronny.

LeBron has stated on several occasions that we would like to team up with Bronny before he retires. He echoed the same sentiments during a recent press conference hours before the All-Star Game. James stated that he feels very settled in Los Angeles, with the Lakers. He said, “I’ve been very happy being a Laker the last 6 year and hopefully it stays that way.”

Such remarks have come just weeks after reports claimed that LeBron was considering a trade away from the Lakers. However, LeBron’s agent and longtime friend Rich Paul came out and swatted down such rumors. He said, “LeBron won’t be traded, and we aren’t asking to be.” Since then, murmurs of a trade demand have died down, and surprisingly this has coincided with an uptake in the performances of the Lakers. But come June, speculation surrounding LeBron is expected to escalate once more, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Is Bronny holding the key to LeBron’s NBA future?

In an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, LeBron said, “I need to be on the floor with my boy. I gotta be on the floor with Bronny.” He added further, “I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr./Jr. thing. That would be ideal, for sure, being with him, spending a full year with him in the same uniform. That would be the icing on the cake.” LeBron has a $51.4 million player option in his contract with the Lakers for next season. But the player option will expire on 29th June. This perfectly aligns with Bronny’s draft prospects, as he is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, which takes place on 26-27th June.

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According to some reports, the Lakers have contemplated drafting Bronny in order to keep hold of LeBron. However, it isn’t certain whether Bronny would enlist for the draft, given his stop-start collegiate season with USC. If Bronny enrolls for the draft, he won’t go undrafted that’s for sure, but would that be the right move for his career? Well, that’s a question for another day.

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