LeBron James’ future remains somewhat in doubt, but it seems like the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to pull quite the recruiting tactic to keep him in Southern California.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are “very open to the prospect of helping LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son Bronny by potentially drafting him.”
Bronny, 19, declared for the NBA Draft earlier this month, despite stats not being on his side following a cardiac arrest over the summer. He is still able to pull out of the draft and stay in school, and he’s also entered the transfer portal.
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Bronny James and Bryce James present the LeBron James with the Best Record-Breaking Performance award onstage during The 2023 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
However, James has long expressed a desire to play with not only Bronny, but even his younger son Bryce.
“In a perfect world, the Lakers have LeBron James back, and potentially they draft Bronny James — I’m told they are interested in picking him in the draft,” Charania added on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” on Tuesday.
The Athletic reported that the Lakers want James back with or without Bronny, but interestingly, James has until June 29 to opt out of his current deal with the Lakers. The NBA Draft is June 26 and 27, so James could, theoretically, opt out upon seeing his son’s destination, if he has one.
ESPN, though, noted that James’ top priority isn’t necessarily to play with his son anymore, but rather, having Bronny develop as a player has taken precedent.
Nov 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shakes hands with his son Bronny James during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. (Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)
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After James’ Lakers were eliminated in the NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets for the second time in as many years, he was noncommittal about his future with the Lakers.
He declined to answer whether that was his last game as a Laker, and said he hadn’t “given it much thought” about a 22nd NBA season.
“Obviously, at some point, I’ll sit down with Rich [Paul], my agent, and sit down with my family and see what’s best for my career. We’ll cross that when we need to,” he said.
McDonalds High School All American Bronny James (6) talks with his father LeBron James after the 2023 McDonalds High School All American Boys Game at Toyota Center. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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James said Bronny is trying to decide if he’s going to enter the draft or go back to school. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his freshman season.
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