Bronny James makes intentions clear at 2024 NBA Draft Combine

As the Los Angeles Lakers plan out their offseason, the biggest moving piece is of course still LeBron James. Whether he chooses to return to LA or not will have a major impact on the organization's direction and what they hope to accomplish before the start of next season.

Should he depart, the Lakers will have to do some soul-searching and figure out if they think they still have enough to theoretically compete for a championship. If LeBron returns, LA will be prepared to run it back, and they could potentially be basing some of their other major decisions around his preferences.

One move LeBron could influence the Lakers to make is drafting or signing his son Bronny. He has hinted for quite a long time that he loves the idea of playing alongside his oldest child, and the Lakers have the ability to make that scenario a reality.

With Bronny making preparations for draft night, he attended the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week, getting measurements taken and showing off his skill for scouts. One Insider in attendance, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, asked Bronny about the prospect of playing for his dad, and he certainly made his intentions about that possibility clear.

"When I get here (to the NBA), I don't think it would be just like me and my dad," said Bronny. "I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad ... I'm just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there."

Bronny expressed that he is not focused on playing with his dad

He made sure to emphasize that playing with LeBron is not at all his mindset for the time being. He is wholly focused on being the best individual player he can be and going wherever he ends up. All things considered, this is a very mature and wise decision from the young prospect.

Being LeBron's son naturally comes with a lot of visibility and pressure, and handling those things would not be easy for most people. So it is admirable that Bronny is choosing not to latch himself so tightly to his father in this NBA journey, and is instead intent on writing his own story independent of the legacy of his celebrity family member.

Now, might LeBron's decision as to where he plays next still be tied to his son? Sure, but we do not know for certain. In the meantime, it is clear that Bronny is being intentional about making his own path as he works as hard as he can to make it to the league on his own volition.