LeBron James himself expressed interest in playing in the NBA with son Bronny James, suggesting he will go to whichever team drafts his son.
Well, hold everything, said NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
LeBron playing alongside Bronny in the NBA may not be imminent (or even doable), after all. LeBron's agent Rich Paul has indicated that while it was once a priority, it's not at the forefront of LeBron's mind anymore, per Woj.
"I think what LeBron James, Bronny James and Rich Paul said was, if organically somehow they ended up together, that would be great," Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown. "But you look at the Lakers' draft assets, No. 17, that's a really important pick for the Lakers probably to use in a big trade. You're not gonna use it on Bronny James at 17. And then they have No. 55. He could very well be gone by then."
LeBron can opt out of his contract and become a free agent, and most suspect that's what he intends to do. Though most also suspect he will just re-up with the Lakers.
Bronny's journey to the NBA has faced some challenges, particularly with his health scare and a less-than-ideal performance in his freshman year at USC. However, Paul is actively exploring options for Bronny's development, possibly looking at teams or organizations that could provide the right environment for his growth, even considering the G League as a potential path.
"Rich Paul's goal here in the pre-draft process for Bronny James is to see if there's the right developmental system or organization, a place that can take a young player like Bronny James, who went five months without playing after his heart episode certainly limited him in his season at USC," he said. "If he does go in the draft, he very likely would spend next year in the G League."
Bronny entered the transfer portal, so even if he doesn't play in the NBA or G League next season, he presumably will play for a program other than USC.
