Shortly before LeBron James told the Los Angeles Lakers that he wouldn't return for his 24th season, Bronny James' salary for the 2026-27 season became guaranteed. Was that enough to stop speculation that he would end up wherever his father goes? Absolutely not. However, on Tuesday, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that the "assumptions" (subscription required) that the duo will "stay linked going forward are false."
LeBron isn't in charge of what happens next for Bronny. The Lakers are. Los Angeles isn't exactly overflowing with young talent, and keeping the younger James around could be in the organization's best interest as he continues to develop.
You might think the Lakers wouldn't have drafted Bronny (and kept him around) if it weren't for LeBron, but that won't be the case moving forward. If LA did it as a favor to the superstar, it has turned into an advantage for the organization, which seems to truly want to see things through with the 21-year-old, even though his father will play elsewhere.
Bronny can be something for Lakers even with LeBron gone
Even just a couple of months ago, it didn't seem like LeBron would actually leave Los Angeles. It's not the outcome the Lakers were rooting for, as Rob Pelinka had already said the organization would welcome James back for what they thought would be another season with his son.
Maybe LA would've let the date to release Bronny pass, even if it had known at that point that LeBron would leave. As Woike wrote, the younger James is "well-liked in the locker room and a respected worker who has improved greatly in his two years with the organization." He's carved out his own reputation, one that even his father can't overshadow.
When the Lakers drafted Bronny, there were questions about whether he'd be able to step out of his father's shadow and carve a role out for himself, one not influenced by his name. He's done just that, though the work certainly isn't done yet.
The playoff experience Bronny gained this past season when Los Angeles was shorthanded will benefit him moving forward, as that's something that can't be replicated. The Lakers wouldn't have put him in that position if they didn't think he was capable of handling it, even with the injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. JJ Redick has spoken highly of the young guard and the work he has put in over the past couple of years.
None of that has to do with his father, just like next season won't if LA does hold onto him.
Bronny may not have been on the Lakers' radar initially if it weren't for LeBron, but he's already done his part to help flip that script, turning into a player that Los Angeles actually believes in. Both he and LA can come out of this on the winning side, with the possibility that he can forge his own path in purple and gold.
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