Rumors have previously swirled suggesting that LeBron James will join any team that drafts his son Bronny James. Rich Paul, LeBron’s agent, recently shut down those rumors, via Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul said. “If he does, he does.

But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he (LeBron) will resign.

If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny, and LeBron doesn’t resign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”

LeBron, Bronny and the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half in game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers are rumored to have interest in selecting Bronny in the 2024 NBA Draft. That does not mean it is guaranteed to happen. Nevertheless, Paul made it clear that LeBron could still re-sign with LA even if Bronny ends up going elsewhere. He said that James may also sign elsewhere even if the Lakers draft Bronny.

At the end of the day, one has to imagine that selecting Bronny James in the NBA Draft would help the team’s chances of landing LeBron, even if the future Hall of Famer’s chances of returning are not contingent upon it.

The Lakers have a number of questions to answer this offseason aside from LeBron James’ potential free agency. LA did not meet their lofty expectations in the 2023-24 regular season. As a result, they may try to upgrade the roster via trades.

If LeBron does end up returning to the team, the Lakers must do everything they can to build a championship contender.

LeBron James linked to Suns
LeBron has been linked to the Suns but Phoenix owes their stars a lot of money. Paul said James will not agree to go to Phoenix for a minimum contract.

If the Suns draft Bronny James then LeBron and Suns rumors will automatically heat up. But Paul made it clear that LeBron isn’t interested in taking a massive pay-cut to join Phoenix.

James will turn 40 years old at the end of 2023 but he’s still one of the better players in the NBA. As a result, he is going to receive a lucrative contract if he opts into free agency.

The Suns will take note of Paul’s comments and it could impact their plans in reference to potentially drafting Bronny James. In fact, Paul’s comments will catch every possible Bronny suitor’s attention.

Final thoughts
Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny James, LeBron James

The idea of LeBron James playing with his son in the NBA is exciting. It is rare to see a father-son duo on the same team, especially when the father is arguably the greatest player of all-time.

There are no guarantees that it will come to fruition during the 2024-25 season. The best chances of it happening will likely be if the Lakers select Bronny in the NBA Draft. The chances of LeBron returning to LA still seem fairly high, so he may have interest in playing for the Lakers again regardless of where Bronny ends up in the draft.