Bronny James spent his first 2 NBA seasons as a teammate of LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers. The pair made history in October 2024 as the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA regular-season game.
That chapter ended this offseason when LeBron signed a 2-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after 8 seasons in Los Angeles. His departure immediately raised questions about whether Bronny’s future would remain tied to his father’s.
For now, the answer is no. Bronny remains under contract with the Lakers, while his agent, Rich Paul, has said there is no current plan or request for him to follow LeBron to Philadelphia.
LeBron James officially leaves the Lakers
LeBron James spent 8 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. His 2-year, $8 million contract includes a player option for the second season.
The move ended a Lakers tenure that began in 2018 and included the franchise’s 2020 NBA championship. LeBron will enter his record-extending 24th NBA season with Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Bronny showed improvement in his second NBA season. He shot 38.6% from 3-point range while appearing in 42 regular-season games for the Lakers.
Bronny James remains with the Lakers
Despite his father’s departure, Bronny James remains with Los Angeles. The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that league sources do not view Bronny’s roster status as automatically tied to LeBron’s decision.
The Lakers allowed Bronny’s approximately $2.29 million salary for 2026-27 to become fully guaranteed on June 29. He remains on a roster the organization has spent 2 seasons developing.
Competition for guard minutes will be significant. The current Lakers roster includes Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy, Bronny, and rookie Cameron Carr.
Rich Paul clarifies the father-son connection
Many fans assumed Bronny would simply follow his father east to Philadelphia once the news broke online. ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne quickly shut that idea down after speaking directly with the family’s longtime representation team.
Rich Paul, who represents both LeBron and Bronny through Klutch Sports, told ESPN that the pair is not a package deal. He said there is no plan for Bronny to join his father in Philadelphia.
That clarification mattered because online speculation had grown very loud within hours of LeBron’s original announcement about leaving Los Angeles. Paul’s comment gave the entire Lakers organization a clear signal about where things actually stood.
Fun fact: Bronny and LeBron became the first father-son duo to ever play together in an NBA game. That historic moment will always remain part of Bronny’s basketball story, regardless of what happens next.
Bronny’s draft journey and background
Bronny James was born on Oct. 6, 2004, in Akron, Ohio. He later played 1 college basketball season at USC before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Lakers selected Bronny with the No. 55 overall pick in the second round. The selection created the possibility that he could share an NBA roster with his father for the first time.
That history became official on Oct. 22, 2024, when Bronny and LeBron checked into the Lakers’ season opener together and became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game.
Bronny’s growth as a Lakers guard
Bronny earned postseason minutes during his second NBA season as the Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round. He appeared in 8 playoff games overall, averaging 5.3 minutes per appearance.
The Lakers also re-signed Chris Mañon to a two-way contract this summer. However, Mañon’s contract does not directly threaten Bronny’s standard roster spot because NBA teams can carry two-way players separately from their maximum of 15 standard contracts.
Bronny’s approximately $2.29 million salary for 2026-27 is already fully guaranteed. His playing time, however, will still depend on his development and performance within a crowded Lakers rotation.
Fun fact: Bronny wears jersey number 9 for the LA Lakers; he chose it as a tribute to the late rapper Juice WRLD, whose music helped him stay calm during difficult times.
Crowded backcourt creates real competition ahead
In late June, Bronny was officially set to return to Los Angeles for what will officially become his third full season in the National Basketball Association next year, a milestone worth noting.
That return comes with a fairly obvious catch, since the Lakers’ backcourt now looks deeper than it has in years. Every single guard on the current roster will need to earn minutes through daily effort.
Coaches will likely rotate lineups frequently during the early part of the season while evaluating who fits best alongside Luka Doncic. Bronny’s steady defense could become his biggest advantage in that ongoing roster fight.
Trade rumors swirl despite the Lakers’ stance
Even with public support from the front office, trade rumors have not fully disappeared this entire offseason. Lakers beat writer Khobi Price addressed the topic directly during a recent appearance on local Los Angeles radio.
Price said the Lakers front office is more than happy to keep Bronny around for the foreseeable future rather than trading him away somewhere else entirely this coming year.
Price added that it would take something genuinely real for another team to pry Bronny away from Los Angeles this offseason. That strongly suggests his internal trade value inside the building remains genuinely quite high.
What Bronny’s next season could look like
Bronny James enters next season with far less certainty attached to his father’s name and far more weight now attached to his own individual performance on the court on any given single night going forward.
His fairly minimal contract gives the Lakers plenty of roster flexibility, but it also means nothing is truly promised to him. Every practice and preseason game will count toward earning a real long-term role.
Whatever happens next, Bronny now finally gets a genuine chance to build his own basketball story in Los Angeles, separate from his father’s massive shadow for the very first time in his still young career.
TL;DR
- LeBron James signed a 2-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after 8 seasons with the Lakers.
- Bronny James remains with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Rich Paul says there is no current plan or request for him to follow LeBron to Philadelphia.
- Bronny’s approximately $2.29 million salary for the 2026-27 season is fully guaranteed.
- He will compete for playing time in a crowded Lakers backcourt that includes Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, and Jaden Hardy.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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