Blake Schuster
May 29, 2024 5:02 pm ET
LeBron James is likely to opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers before the June 29 deadline. On June 26, the NBA will hold a draft featuring his son, LeBron James Jr.
We’re officially in the endgame, folks.
For years, LeBron has been talking about his dream of teaming up with Bronny in the league. Now the duo — along with their agent, Rich Paul — have as much power as they’ll get to make it happen.
Consider what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday morning’s edition of “Get Up”:
“There is a large expectation in the league, as there has been for months by the way, that [LeBron] will opt out of that contract, more for contract structure reasons,” Windhorst said. “Not because he’s looking to leave. But obviously if you’re an unrestricted free agent, the door is open.”
Essentially, the James family has positioned every piece on the chess board exactly where they need it to come out on top. And there are quite a few scenarios that could end up as wins for them.
Let’s dive into them.
Why LeBron’s opt-out could help the Lakers
LeBron is going to get a max contract regardless of what happens here. That’s the one virtual guarantee. But he can structure his deal to give the Lakers a bit more room to improve a roster that clearly needs some tweaks after getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Maybe Los Angeles can’t exactly add another All-NBA caliber star, but someone like DeMar DeRozan, Tobias Harris or Chris Paul could fit into their budget by the time free agency negotiating window opens on June 30, depending on what happens with D’Angelo Russell.
James clearly loves being a Laker and it would take a big shift to change that. His fingerprints are all over this team — and its current head coaching search — so anything that makes Los Angeles resemble a title contender again with James on the roster is a win.
What LeBron’s opt-out could mean for Bronny
This is where things start to get more complicated.
Bronny is officially staying in the draft, and while both father and son have publicly cooled on playing together in the league, their comments feel pretty hollow.
What we know for sure is that currently the Lakers hold picks Nos. 17 and 55 in the draft. It’s extremely unlikely they take Bronny at 17, considering he’s a fringe first-round talent in most mock drafts. That makes him a clear choice at No. 55, but every other team in the league knows that, too.
Complicating matters further is that Bronny is currently slated to work out with the Phoenix Suns, who own the No. 22 pick and GM James Jones is a former teammate of James in Cleveland and Miami. There’s also the rumors of interest from the Utah Jazz and the fact that the Boston Celtics own the No. 54 pick.
Two long-time Lakers rivals getting a chance to pluck Bronny in the draft before Los Angeles nabs him is exactly the NBA’s brand of petty.
By opting out of his contract before the draft, James applies a bit more pressure on Los Angeles to make sure Bronny is wearing a Lakers jersey when the season starts.
A key detail here is that Paul has repeatedly stated Bronny will not accept a two-way contract. James might literally be helping the Lakers clear cap space to keep money available for his son.
But if not…
This could be LeBron’s exit from Los Angeles
LeBron has opted out of his contract four times in his career. Twice he’s signed new deals to remain on the same team. Twice he’s bolted to a new city.
We simply won’t know which way LeBron is leaning until after the draft plays out. Would it be a shock to see James playing for a different franchise next year? Honestly, not really at this point in his career.
James has accomplished just about everything there is in the NBA. If his only goal now is to play with his son, then he’ll find a way to do so wherever that is.
Which brings us back to the main point: LeBron and Bronny have stacked the deck for themselves in multiple ways. We’re about a month away from learning how they want this all to play out.
