The Los Angeles Lakers hit the jackpot when LeBron James decided to sign with the team back in the summer of 2018. It may have been done for lifestyle reasons as he could move his family to Los Angeles but it still had an immeasurable impact on the franchise.
Prior to LeBron coming to LA, the team had undergone the worst time period in franchise history. The Lakers missed the playoffs more times between Kobe Bryant and LeBron’s two playoff appearances than the entire franchise had missed the playoffs before that. That is how bad it was.
It sounds crazy now but LeBron has spent more time with the Lakers than he did with the Miami Heat and his Lakers legacy may go down in history more favorably than his prime years in Miami. That is what happens when you join a prestigious franchise like the Lakers and win.
While it has been an up-and-down run for LeBron in Los Angeles, fans need to ensure that they are appreciative of the greatness they have been able to witness as it is not going to last forever. In fact, the 2023-24 season is undoubtedly going to be LeBron’s last in LA.
Why next season will be LeBron James’ last season with the Lakers:
LeBron has already flirted with retirement, which only hammers home this sentiment more. Sure, one could argue that James may not even suit up for the purple and gold next season but his retirement hints are very obviously a leverage play for James. LeBron will ultimately play next season and it will ultimately be his last in LA.
It all comes down to two very simple words: Bronny James. LeBron James has made it abundantly clear that his final goal in the NBA is to be able to play with his oldest son, Bronny. There is no way that LeBron is going to make it this close to being able to play with his son and not actually pull it off.
Bronny recently committed to play college basketball at USC and with his father’s clock ticking, it seems likely that he will be a one-and-done prospect. That would make Bronny eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Some evaluators have Bronny as a top-10 prospect in the 2024 draft. Even if Bronny doesn’t go in the lottery, the New Orleans Pelicans have the right to take the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick to potentially keep them from drafting Bronny to keep LeBron in LA. Unless the Lakers can get Bronny with the Clippers’ second-round pick (highly unlikely), he won’t end up being drafted by LA.
LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 season that will act as security if Bronny does play another year of college ball but in all likelihood, he will opt out of his deal to sign with whatever team drafts Bronny in 2024.
Even if said team doesn’t have cap space, it seems likely that at this stage of his career, he would take a massive pay cut in order to accomplish the one last objective on his NBA to-do list.