\n<\/p>\n
LeBron James\u2019 NBA future has had a lack of clarity to it for a number of reasons, ranging from the fact he\u2019s in unprecedented territory for production at this point in it as well as his desire to play with his son Bronny.<\/p>\n
That latter aspect has been a big driving force in the question of where LeBron may finish his career. For years, he has been adamant that he will join whatever team drafts Bronny late in his own career.<\/p>\n
However, the reality of the situation may be leading to LeBron walking those claims back. In his recent sit-down interview with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James discussed the notion of playing with his son and how that goal has shifted a bit.<\/p>\n
\nJames has two more years remaining on his contract with the Lakers. While he has repeatedly expressed his hope that the Lakers can find a way to field a more competitive team around him for the twilight of his career, there\u2019s another goal he prioritizes above all else.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,\u201d James said of his eldest son, currently a senior in high school, who would not be eligible to play in the NBA until the 2024-25 season under the rules of the current collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n
James has expressed this desire before, saying how he hoped to be teammates with his son in the league. However, he adjusted that stance slightly on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cEither in the same uniform or a matchup against him. I don\u2019t mean like [guarding one another all game] \u2014 because he\u2019s a point guard and I\u2019m a, at this point now I\u2019m playing center or whatever the team needs from me,\u201d James said. \u201cBut I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It makes sense that LeBron might kind of pull back on some of the pressure he\u2019s heaped on his son. It creates an awkward dynamic when Bronny enters the league of a team potentially only drafting him because they know they could potentially gain LeBron\u2019s services, too.<\/p>\n
Whether that factored into him walking back some of his statements is unclear. There\u2019s also the fact that it\u2019s also still pretty unlikely. Bronny landing on a team and LeBron being able to join that same team, even if willing to go on a minimum, requires a number of things to fall into place simultaneously.<\/p>\n
This could all also ultimately be a result of James preferring to stay in Los Angeles over everything else, which McMenamin also confirmed on his recent appearance on The Lowe Post<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n
\nLowe:<\/strong> \u201dI last checked in on this last week… I just keep hearing that despite this rush of \u2018what could the Lakers get if they traded LeBron?\u2019 and \u2018how much of a flight risk is he?\u2019 I just keep hearing that he wants to stay with the Lakers, he wants to finish his career with the Lakers. His comments should be interpreted though, as his patience is not infinite, and if this is just a continued morass of losing, maybe that changes. But if you forced me to bet, I\u2019d still be on him finishing his career with the Lakers and I\u2019d feel pretty confident in that. Do you see any flight risk or trade risk?<\/p>\n
McMenamin:<\/strong> \u201dI mean, he has the opt-out for various reasons. One because if he sustains at an incredible level, then you can opt out and add more guaranteed years at that point. Two… is that a very real goal of his is to find a way to potentially play on the same team with his son. And that opt-out coincides with \u2014 under the current collective bargaining agreement \u2014 the first time that Bronny James would be eligible to play in the NBA. And who knows what happens at that point? And again, knock on wood, but things could happen in the negative sense between now and 2024. LeBron\u2019s body being 21 years in and 39 years old, and maybe he has to consider \u2014 and this sounds crazy, I\u2019m not trying to sound ludicrous \u2014 that he would be the complementary player to his son. If something happens physically to where he couldn\u2019t play, he would just go to be there with his son. So there\u2019s all those scenarios in play. I think if he had his druthers, he plays on the Lakers until he hangs it up, Bronny James is on the Lakers, and the Lakers are back in the playoffs every single season, and I think that would be enough. It\u2019s not championship-or-bust, it\u2019s competitive-basketball-or-bust, and I think that\u2019s his breaking point.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The easiest path for all this to play out would be for the Lakers to simply draft Bronny, which could theoretically happen. He will likely be draft-eligible in 2024 and the Lakers could have their first round pick that year along with one of Memphis or Washington\u2019s second round picks.<\/p>\n
In all, though, it appears to be good news for the Lakers. LeBron doesn\u2019t appear as set on leaving the franchise despite the front office\u2019s best efforts this year to seemingly test his patience. And regardless of how or where it takes place, if LeBron and Bronny share the court together in the coming years, it\u2019ll truly be a historic moment.<\/p>\n
For more <\/strong><\/em>Lakers<\/strong><\/em> talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on <\/strong><\/em>iTunes<\/strong><\/em>, <\/strong><\/em>Spotify<\/strong><\/em>, <\/strong><\/em>Stitcher<\/strong><\/em> or <\/strong><\/em>Google Podcasts<\/strong><\/em>. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at <\/strong><\/em>@JacobRude<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n