NBA teams should not select Bronny James in the hopes of attracting LeBron James away as a free agent. In the weeks before the June 26–27 NBA Draft, front offices may get in touch with either LeBron's agent, Bronny James, or the Los Angeles Lakers star to enquire about the possibility of LeBron joining that team if Bronny is selected. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron would respond, "No, not right now."
The "as of right now" portion of that response may allow clubs to explore constructing a circumstance that might appeal to LeBron. After Bronny James performance at this week's NBA Draft Combine, some teams have already indicated interest in choosing him in the second round.
This season, Los Angeles Lakers were the eighth seed in the Western Conference before defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA play-in tournament. They were ousted from the playoffs in five games by the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
LeBron James set to play his last NBA season
LeBron James has already stated that he plans to play his last NBA season with his son and will sign with the franchise that picked Bronny. However, he has subsequently eased off that attitude, stating that playing together is his ideal but not always what his kid wants. After the Lakers' season ended, he stated that playing with Bronny was no longer a top goal for him.
But the Lakers plan to satisfy LeBron's demands and re-sign him, giving him a $51.4 million player option for the 2024–25 season. According to all reports, the four-time NBA MVP plans to remain in Los Angeles, particularly if the Lakers acquire a great player to join him and Anthony Davis on the team and hire a head coach he loves.
Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games during his only season at USC. After having heart surgery and going into cardiac arrest during a workout, he missed the first half of the season but was able to play for the Trojans the entire time.