With LeBron James officially having moved on from the Los Angeles Lakers to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, the attention shifts to his son, Bronny James.
Bronny is heading into his third season in the NBA and now faces an uncertain future with his father taking his talents to Philadelphia.
There’s been speculation that the Lakers could trade Bronny to the 76ers if they’re able to get draft compensation back in return, with the team now sorely lacking in that department after the Walker Kessler blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz.
Devean George Thinks Lakers Should Keep Bronny James
Although there’s been a lot of debate amongst Lakers fans and NBA analysts about Bronny’s immediate future in Los Angeles, former Laker and three-time champion Devean George thinks his old team should put him out there and see what he can do without LeBron being there, via TMZ.
“If you believe he should be playing, then put him out there,” George said of Bronny. “You gotta see what he can do. Put him out there. I think now that his dad's gone, put him out there, see if he can do what he can do.
"I think it's a good situation for him. I think he needs to space away from his dad, my opinion. Let him do his own thing.”
At this point, there’s no telling what the Lakers will do with Bronny. The team guaranteed his contract ($2.3 million) for the upcoming season, which ironically was done right before LeBron’s announcement that he wouldn’t be returning to the Lakers.
After next season, the Lakers have a team option on Bronny at $2.5 million, so they could simply decline the option and let him walk as a free agent.
However, the Lakers coaching staff reportedly is quite fond of the third-year guard, and LeBron and his son are not considered to be a “package deal” after the 76ers announcement, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
As for the impact of LeBron James’ decision on his son Bronny James, Rich Paul, the agent for both tells ESPN that "they are not a package deal" and there's no current plan or request for Bronny Janes to join his father in Philly.
Bronny James recently had his contract…
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 24, 2026
Bronny Has Tough Hill to Climb in Crowded Lakers Backcourt
The tricky part about Bronny’s situation in Los Angeles is that he’ll be competing for minutes in a crowded backcourt after the team brought in Cameron Carr, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Jaden Hardy to share the floor with stars Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
The Lakers also brought back Chris Manon on a two-way deal, so Bronny will have to prove his worth, or he could be traded or end up spending a lot of time with the Coachella Valley Lakers in the G League next season.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Bronny, but one thing is for certain: he’ll be put to the test during the 2026-27 campaign, which will likely be make-or-break for the USC product.
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