LeBron James has spent the past seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but after he opted into his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26, there are questions about whether he’s eyeing another locale in the near future. The same goes for Bronny James, whose future is inevitably tied to his father’s ties with the Lakers too.
While Bronny’s contract is much different from his dad’s in that he’s entering season two of a four-year, fully guaranteed contract, the full deal is only worth $7.9 million, a fraction of LeBron’s salary. This essentially makes it easy for the Lakers to wipe their hands clean of Bronny if LeBron decides he’d rather play elsewhere.
According to [The Athletic’s John Hollinger](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6483920/2025/07/10/nba-summer-league-vegas-bronny-james-nikola-topic/), “it’s hard to see” the Lakers keeping Bronny on the roster once/if LeBron does eventually move on, whether it’s retirement or to a new team.
Bronny posted respectable numbers while representing the Lakers’ G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game last season. However, he only played in 11 games, so he’ll need to continue proving he not only belongs, but is capable of elevating his play to the highest form of competition, where his father has starred for the past 22 years.
For now, Bronny is on a good track. He’s still just 20 years old, and he has a key spot on the Lakers, where he has access to world-class trainers, coaches, and facilities that help him maximize his skillset.
**Related: [Report suggests LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers may be on bad terms](https://sportsnaut.com/nba/lebron-james-los-angeles-lakers-may-be-on-bad-terms/)**