LeBron James' decision for the 2026-27 NBA season will significantly affect his son Bronny James' future with the Los Angeles Lakers. If LeBron retires or leaves the team, Bronny's role with the franchise may become uncertain.
Key points
LeBron James is 41 and an unrestricted free agent.
Bronny James was drafted No. 55 overall in 2024.
LeBron's decision will affect Bronny's future with the Lakers.
Bronny is becoming a legitimate NBA contributor.
LeBron's potential retirement could create uncertainty for Bronny.
Much has been made of LeBron James' immediate future in the NBA.
Nothing is guaranteed anymore with James, who is 41 and about to become an unrestricted free agent. A return to the Los Angeles Lakers is certainly feasible. But should James retire or head elsewhere, he'd potentially be leaving something significant behind in Los Angeles: his son.
Bronny James has been a Laker since his stunning selection at No. 55 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, creating a father-son duo that has since created some historic moments on the court. And while the younger James has slowly been blossoming into a legitimate NBA contributor, should his father depart from the Lakers, Bronny could also face an uncertain future with the franchise.
Here's a look at Bronny James' future, depending on LeBron's decision this offseason.
How will LeBron James' decision impact Bronny James' career?
LeBron's choice regarding his future with the Lakers will directly influence Bronny's standing and opportunities within the franchise.
What are the implications of LeBron James becoming a free agent?
As an unrestricted free agent, LeBron's potential departure from the Lakers could lead to significant changes for the team and affect Bronny's future there.
What year was Bronny James drafted and what is his current status?
Bronny James was drafted No. 55 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft and is developing into a legitimate contributor for the Lakers.
What could happen if LeBron James retires?
If LeBron retires, Bronny may face an uncertain future with the Lakers, impacting his career trajectory and opportunities in the NBA.
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What's next for Bronny James?
As a second-round pick in 2024, James is under contract with the Lakers in 2026-27 — if nothing changes with his outlook, he's set to return to the team next season. But James also isn't the average backup NBA guard.
Whether the Lakers wanted to admit it or not, it was always clear that the team selected Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft partially as a favor to LeBron to help him make unique history — the former USC guard wasn't considered much of a draft prospect at the time, immensely unproven for the pros after health concerns in college. However, even if the draft pick was a bit of a reach, James has increasingly proven himself as a capable NBA guard.
When the Lakers saw their two star guards go down with injuries this season, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, JJ Redick filled some of those minutes with James, who scored 12 points against the Spurs, 10 against the Thunder, 10 against the Warriors and 11 against the Jazz. As a 3-and-D guard, James proved to be a solid option deep on the Lakers' bench.
For those reasons, even if his father leaves the Lakers behind, it's possible that Los Angeles wants to keep James around to continue his development deep on the bench with hopes of someday being a solid backup guard and rotation regular. James' ceiling has been questioned previously, but he's shown enough in two years for the Lakers to like his upside, even removed from his familial connections.
With Bronny James under contract for 2026-27, the Lakers would have to move him in some fashion — likely via trade — if they weren't bringing him back. Otherwise, expect to see the guard return to Los Angeles next season, even if its without his father.
Considering how LeBron James has spoken glowingly about the historic opportunity he's had to play alongside his firstborn son in the NBA, it's difficult to imagine the 41-year-old choosing to leave the Lakers this offseason without some kind of plan on how to maintain his father-son duo.
Because James has made no official decisions on his future, there's no way of knowing whether Bronny James would follow him. After all, LeBron could choose to retire — which would leave Bronny with the Lakers, ending the run with his dad. But if LeBron decides to pursue an opportunity elsewhere, such as with the Cleveland Cavaliers or Golden State Warriors, things could get intriguing for Bronny.
Assuming LeBron signed with a non-Lakers team and pushed for that new team to acquire his son, it would have to come via trade. Bronny shouldn't cost too much as an asset — he's a former second-round pick who has, for the most part, been a developmental G League player — but the new team would have to make space with a second roster spot for the James family.
Hypothetically, the Cavaliers would bring everything together for the LeBron-Bronny duo. If LeBron found his way back to Cleveland in free agency, and the Cavaliers then facilitated an easy trade with the Lakers for Bronny, it would leave the father and son on an Eastern Conference championship contender while simultaneously bringing a Hollywood ending to LeBron's career, plenty of nostalgia for fans, and a reunion for Bronny, who grew up around the Cavaliers franchise and was also born in Akron, Ohio.
On the other hand, LeBron could be more respectful of Bronny's individual career and allow him to carve out his own path with the Lakers, even if he moves on to a new team. It's all up in the air — but once LeBron's future is decided, there should be more clarity on Bronny as well.
James just wrapped up the second year of his four-year rookie deal, which carries a club option in 2027-28 before he would hit unrestricted free agency in 2028.
Per Spotrac, James had a cap hit of $1,955,377 in 2025-26, which will rise to $2,296,271 next season.
