Following LeBron James’ decision not to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2026-27 NBA season, speculation has arisen about whether his son, Bronny James, will accompany him to his next team. While the possibility exists that father and son could be teammates again, sources indicate that it is not guaranteed the Lakers will trade Bronny to wherever LeBron signs.

The Lakers, who selected Bronny with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, appear inclined to retain the young guard on their roster heading into the new season. Maintaining Bronny would require any interested team to offer significant assets in exchange, given his value within the organization. Bronny has developed into a reliable shooter with defensive capabilities during his time in the system and is reportedly well-regarded throughout multiple levels of the franchise.

Bronny’s progression includes substantial playing time with the team’s G-League affiliate, which was recently rebranded from the South Bay Lakers to the Coachella Valley Lakers. Across his second season, he improved key statistics such as field goal percentage (rising from 41.9 percent to 50.5 percent), three-point shooting accuracy (from 33.6 percent to 37.6 percent), and his assist-to-turnover ratio (from 4.6:3.3 to 4:2.6).

During the 2025-26 NBA season, Bronny appeared in 42 regular-season games and became a consistent rotation player following injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. In the final 10 regular-season games, he averaged 5.6 points per game and converted 35.7 percent of his three-point attempts.

Bronny also saw action in eight of the Lakers’ 10 playoff games. One of his notable moments came in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, where he and LeBron combined to score 10 consecutive points during the second quarter, contributing to the Lakers’ eventual series victory.

Financially, the Lakers have guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary for the upcoming 2026-27 season by retaining him on the roster past the June 29 deadline. Additionally, the team holds a $2.5 million option for the 2027-28 season, with the salary becoming fully guaranteed on January 10, 2028.

Should Bronny remain with the Lakers, he is expected to compete for reserve backcourt minutes alongside newcomers Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr, and recent acquisition Jaden Hardy as the team prepares for the new season.