One of the biggest dominoes of the summer is starting to fall. After his longest continuous stint with a single team, there were legitimate question marks about what the future held for LeBron James.
With the Los Angeles Lakers changing focus to usher in the Luka Dončić era, it has left the 41-year-old as the odd man out. Now, as news of his decision in free agency comes to light, the NBA world is left confused about the fate of his son, Bronny James.
LeBron James Moving to New Team With or Without Bronny
Drafted in the second round, the James name ensured that his son signed a fully guaranteed contract. At the time, it seemed inevitable that the four-time NBA champion would finish his career in Los Angeles.
However, the outlook has completely changed after trading for an in-his-prime MVP candidate. Now, as his current contract came to an end, James is moving to a new location, as confirmed by senior 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 New York Knicks, before their championship victory, and the San Antonio Spurs seemed like possible destinations, while others like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors were also lurking in the background.
Now, it looks like all those teams are going to have a chance to sign a four-time MVP. But for a large chunk of the basketball world, that has left Bronny as a major question mark. For the time being, though, 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.” Others, though, were left to wonder what the future could look like for the youngster.
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
As some made 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, James 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. But as the timeline shifts to a more win-now mode in LA, they might not have the time to be patient with James’ development.
With the gravity of his dad no longer on the roster, it could make him expendable in a potential trade as well, as Rob Pelinka tries to figure out the rest of the pieces on the team.
