Bronny James not expected to automatically join LeBron at next stop

LeBron James may be leaving the Lakers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Bronny James will be right behind him.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, league sources have pushed back on the idea that Bronny is automatically headed to whichever team signs his father in free agency.

That doesn’t mean the second-year guard is guaranteed to remain with the Lakers. But there’s no indication the Lakers, the Jameses, or LeBron’s new team will view the two situations as connected.

The Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s contract for the upcoming season earlier this summer, and Woike reported that the 21-year-old is well-liked within the organization and respected by teammates.

Bronny also showed meaningful progress in his second NBA season.

After struggling as a rookie, he shot 40.9 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from three while appearing in 42 games for the Lakers in 2025-26.

He also impressed in the G League, averaging 15.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 14 games with the South Bay Lakers while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.

But playing time could still be difficult to find in LA. The Lakers enter the season with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy and rookie Cameron Carr all expected to compete for backcourt minutes.

As for LeBron, his free-agency decision continues to dominate the NBA offseason. The Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, 76ers and Timberwolves remain the teams most frequently linked to the four-time MVP, with league-wide anticipation growing that a decision could come soon.