One of the biggest dominoes of the summer is starting to fall. After his longest continuous stint with a single team, LeBron James has decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Lakers changing focus to usher in the Luka Dončić era, the 41-year-old was the odd man out. Now, with James deciding to play elsewhere next season, the NBA world is left confused about the fate of his son, Bronny James.
LeBron James Moving to New Team With or Without Bronny
When the Lakers drafted Bronny in the second round, it seemed inevitable that his father would finish his legendary career in Los Angeles.
However, the four-time NBA champion is officially changing teams, as confirmed by ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania.
“BREAKING: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN.”
Immediately, reactions started pouring in. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs have emerged as possible destinations.
But for a large chunk of the basketball world, they had a different question: what does this mean for Bronny? For the time being, he is still with the Lakers.
As Keith Smith of Spotrac confirmed, “Bronny James’ contract with the Los Angeles Lakers became fully guaranteed for $2.3M yesterday.” Still, there are plenty of questions whether he will remain with Los Angeles.
As Ari Meirov wondered, “What actually happens to Bronny now?” Greg Biggins theorized, “Guess Bronny will be part of a sign and trade deal now.”
However, for a large chunk of the NBA world, the jokes wrote themselves as they discussed the future of his career.
Bronny on the Lakers next year pic.twitter.com/E9XhS92t9P
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) June 30, 2026
BetMGM shared the Will Smith meme, others pointed to Bane from “The Dark Knight” trilogy as obvious pop culture references.
An incomplete Lakers roster could use his exact skillset, given his defensive instincts and 3-point marksmanship.
LeBron leaving Bronny in LA pic.twitter.com/CMAGAHtpWl
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) June 30, 2026
Near the end of the regular season and in the postseason, Bronny was starting to find consistency, with head coach JJ Redick trusting him with a heavier minutes load. But his size has left some obvious question marks about his viability in the NBA.
So far, Redick has spoken highly about the young prospect and his development. But with LeBron no longer on the roster, we will learn what Rob Pelinka, Redick, and Co. really think about the youngster. Given that this team is in win-now mode, they might not have the patience to develop James.
With his dad no longer on the roster, it could make Bronny expendable in a potential trade as Pelinka tries to bolster the roster around Dončić and Austin Reaves.
