Report: Lakers open to adding Bronny James next season to keep LeBron happy

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly open to the idea of adding LeBron James’ son Bronny to their roster next season.

“The Lakers, per the high-ranking team source, are also willing to explore the notion of adding Bronny James next season,” Sam Amick, Anthony Slater and Jovan Buha wrote. “This stance, the source said, is rooted in the reality that James’ happiness truly matters to the organization. They will potentially have their 2024 first-round pick (depending on if the New Orleans Pelicans, as part of the blockbuster [Anthony] Davis trade, choose to receive that pick or defer to 2025) and have two second-round picks that could help to that end (the [Los Angeles] Clippers’ and the less favorable of the [Memphis] Grizzlies’ and [Washington] Wizards’ selections).”

This report comes in light of a rumor that the elder James is focused on returning to the Lakers organization in the offseason.

Several former NBA players have recently commented on the possibility of the elder James playing with the younger James. Former Golden State Warriors star guard Baron Davis seems all for the elder James and younger James teaming up.

“Your daddy is LeBron James,” Davis told TMZ Sports. “I think it will do nothing but help him.”

But Austin Rivers — who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2022-23 regular season — isn’t bullish on arguably the greatest basketball player of all time joining forces with his son in the pros. Rivers was coached by his father back when he was playing for the Los Angeles Clippers franchise.

“I don’t wanna see Bronny play with his dad,” Rivers said. “I really don’t. I just — I went through something similar. It was a very similar situation but also different. I was already in the NBA when I went to go play for him.”

The younger James hasn’t exactly starred in his first season of college basketball. He has played in 16 games with the University of Southern California Trojans so far during the 2023-24 season and is averaging 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 35.6 percent shooting from the field and 27.1 percent from deep.

The 19-year-old has had trouble finding his rhythm as a scorer lately. He has failed to reach double digits in scoring in each of his last five games. The most points he scored during that span was nine against Oregon State University earlier in the month. He shot 3-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from deep while also contributing three rebounds, six assists and one steal in a game the Trojans went on to win by 28 points.

The Trojans haven’t played since falling to Stanford University back on Feb. 10 but have a matchup against the University of Utah coming up on Thursday night.

Only time will tell if the Lakers decide to acquire the younger James before the start of next season, but doing so would seemingly only help the team’s chances of re-signing the elder James in the offseason. Expect the rumors connecting the younger James to the Lakers to multiply in the coming months as the 2024 NBA Draft draws closer.