LeBron James will not be back with the Los Angeles Lakers next season, the one guarantee we know about, wherever he decides to play next season.
But Bronny James? He’s still with the Lakers, and he isn’t necessarily going anywhere.
While LeBron and Bronny playing together as teammates was one of the more incredible storylines following the 2024 NBA Draft, assumptions that the father and son staying linked going forward are false, according to league sources who were granted anonymity to discuss front-office strategies.
LeBron’s departure from the Lakers after eight seasons isn’t viewed as anything related to Bronny’s standing with the team. While anything can happen, the younger James, 21, is well-liked in the Lakers locker room and a respected worker who has improved greatly in his two years with the organization. He attended the Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League win Saturday night and is a part of their veteran minicamp that began Monday.
LeBron and Bronny made NBA history by being the first father-and-son teammates in 2024 after the Lakers took the younger James 55th in the draft out of USC. Bronny spent most of his rookie season in the G League but did have a 17-point game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, 2025.
Bronny appeared in 42 games with the Lakers last season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.2 assists on 40.9/38.6/85.7 shooting splits. He made an unexpected push into the Lakers’ late-season rotation after injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and averaged 6.6 points over the team’s final five games. He also played significant rotation minutes in Games 3 and 4 against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers beat the Rockets 4-2 in their best-of-seven series before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Bronny said of playing in the playoffs. “I mean, in college, I didn’t get to play in March, so that’s something that’s gonna irk me for the rest of my life. And I got to do it in the playoffs, and that’s just the best feeling.”
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In addition to the milestones with his father, Bronny’s first season in the NBA was remarkable, considering he suffered cardiac arrest nearly three years ago, just before his lone season at USC.
“Especially knowing the path, you know, the road …,” LeBron told The Athletic in March. “So, just proud of him. I’m super proud of him. And he belongs. He belongs.”
The Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary earlier this offseason, and he might be too good for the G League as he heads into his third professional season. He played 14 games last season with the South Bay Lakers and averaged 15.6 points while hitting 56.4 percent from the field and 45.6 percent from 3. He also cut his turnovers from 3.5 as a rookie to 2.1 per game.
As the rebuilt Lakers’ roster stands, Bronny will be competing for minutes in the backcourt behind Dončić, Reaves and Quentin Grimes, in addition to Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr and newly acquired Jaden Hardy.
