The flag bearer of Team USA at the Paris Olympics is having the time of his life. At 39, LeBron James‘ teammates still consider him the best player on the side, and rightfully so. The Akron Hammer saved the Hoopers from embarrassment twice in a row with his clutch performances. Nevertheless, the fans may not witness the same in the years to come as the Laker is near, if not at, the last lap of his career. And, NFL legend Cris Carter dropped King James’ retirement timeline.

The former Miami Dolphins wide receiver expressed his take on the superstar’s latest contract decision. And, with that, he predicted James’ last season in the league. Initially, LBJ offered to make a sacrifice in his contract, so the Lakers could acquire veteran players. Notably, he was eligible for a 3-year contract worth $162 million. However, the superstar’s offer to help didn’t receive any response. Amid this situation, the Lakers picked Bronny James as their #55th pick.

Following that, LeBron James extended his stay with the Lakers with a two-year deal worth $101 million, with a player option in the second year. Several reports suggested that he made a sacrifice of $2.6 million in his latest contract. Addressing the latest news, Cris Carter formed an opinion. He argued that King James’ chance at winning his final ring had diminished. He said, “If you decide to take that 100 million it really restricts, as far as what they can do, they can only trade for another player now because they don’t have the cash to be able to add cash and a player, so their ability to get Superior players has decreased.”

On Fully Loaded, the NFL legend further added, “I’m not going to say it’s greed. But he’s going to make more money if they’re a better team. To me, this is a move that I don’t like and I do believe it’s probably a one-year 50 million this the last stroke.” Now that the contract is already signed, everybody has to live with it. However, Carter dropped a positive update.

When will we see LeBron & Bronny James play together?

Bronny James made it to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the goal isn’t over yet. Years before the historic draft, LeBron James expressed his wish to play alongside his son before his retirement. Importantly, the superstar has crossed only halfway to make his dream a reality and still has a long way to go. At this point, it’s a blessing if Bronny James gets garbage time considering the Lakers’ bench depth. However, Cris Carter drafted a perfect scenario to get the much-awaited father-son time on the court.  

The NBA world recently had the first glance at Bronny after the draft. Serving to everyone’s anticipation, the Lakers picked the 19-year-old alongside Dalton Knecht as the #17th pick. The two rising stars donned the Purple & Gold jersey for the first time in the Summer League. While Knecht had an impressive tournament, averaging 21.3 points, Bronny had an underwhelming run, averaging 8.8 points with a high score of 13 points.

Notably, it would be tough for the youngster to even get a place in the bench rotation with his performance. Addressing this, Cris Carter said, “I believe his (LeBron James) son is the developmental player solely right now. If that kid is on the opening day roster, I’ll be shocked.”

However, Carter made up a scenario to witness the historic father-son duo on the court for the first time in the NBA. Carter added, “I think that during the season someone’s going to get hurt. He’s going to get called up and then, him and LeBron will end up on the court at the same time.” Undeniably, it would be the most anticipated moment in the upcoming season.

But, the question is, will Bronny live up to the expectations?

A closer look at Bronny James’ Summer League performance

There’s no doubt that Bronny James had a lot of pressure resting on his shoulder. Son of LeBron James, coming off a poor freshman-year run with USC, averaging 4.8 points in 25 games. While everyone expected the rising star to shut down the critics with his Summer League, he had an underwhelming run there as well.

In the first four games, Bronny barely made any improvement, scoring a total of 17 points in four games. Moreover, he went 0-15 from the three-point arc. Right when the media began to write off the player, he showed signs of improvement, dropping 25 points in two games with a high score of 13 points. Importantly, he overcame the perimeter jinx, dropping 3 three-pointers. And one of those three-pointers came in during a clutch situation against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speaking of Bronny’s performance, Summer League coach Dane Johnson said, “He had two pretty good games last two. I think it’s just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him.” 

While this effort likely won’t bring him into the Lakers’ bench rotation, it will definitely give JJ Redick an option in the future. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.