Evaluating What Might Happen With Lakers' Bronny James After LeBron Signs With 76ers

After more than three weeks since the start of NBA free agency, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has finally made his decision on where he’ll play next season, agreeing to a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The future Hall of Famer is going all in while playing alongside fellow stars Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown in Philadelphia on a team that swooped in late in the process and may give the 76ers their best chance to win a title in quite some time.

What Does the Future Hold for Bronny James?

In the aftermath of the LeBron saga, questions linger about the immediate future of his son, Bronny James, who has played the last two seasons with his father in Los Angeles.

There have been rumors swirling about Bronny’s future, with some speculating that he could be traded to the team LeBron decides to play with in the 2026-27 NBA season.

According to Yossi Gozlan, the 76ers have the assets to send to Los Angeles to bring in Bronny.

Bronny James would fit nicely into that Eric Gordon trade exception.

The Sixers have plenty second-round picks to get a deal done. pic.twitter.com/cmz68wbW9W
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 24, 2026

Lakers Should Trade Bronny if They Can Get a Second-Round Pick in Return

Right before LeBron made his decision to leave the Lakers in free agency, Bronny’s contract for the upcoming season was fully guaranteed by the team at $2.3 million.

Next year, the Lakers have a team option on the young guard’s contract at $2.5 million, which makes it easy for the storied franchise to move off him if they want to go that direction next summer.

That’s a pretty easy contract to move, but it remains to be seen if he’d be worth a second-round pick to the 76ers.

If so, the Lakers need to jump at the opportunity, as the team now has a crowded backcourt with the additions of Cameron Carr, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, and Collin Sexton to play alongside stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The team also brought back defensive-minded guard Chris Manon on a two-way contract, who can arguably provide more than Bronny off the bench.

Along with Bronny potentially being out of the rotation next season, the Lakers lack draft assets, so a second-round pick might be more valuable to Los Angeles than having another guard on the roster that won’t play much, if at all.

LeBron & Bronny Reportedly ‘Not a Package Deal’

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James Bronny James — Apr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) with son Bronny James (9) in the first half \against the Houston Rockets during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, there’s no current plan in place for the Lakers to trade Bronny to the 76ers, nor has the third-year guard asked to be shipped to Philadelphia.

Apparently, Bronny and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said the two aren’t a package deal.

As for the impact of LeBron James’ decision on his son Bronny James, Rich Paul, the agent for both tells ESPN that "they are not a package deal" and there's no current plan or request for Bronny Janes to join his father in Philly.

Bronny James recently had his contract…
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 24, 2026

Even though LeBron’s decision didn’t immediately trigger a Bronny trade, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that a deal comes to fruition at some point during this NBA offseason, especially now that more movement around the league is expected to happen in the aftermath of this decision by the four-time NBA champion.

Lakers Have More Moves Coming

Sep 25, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left, speaks during a press conference to preview the 2025-26 season at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the immediate future for Bronny remains uncertain, the Lakers will remain active, as they need to waive or trade a player to open a roster spot for Matisse Thybulle, who reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Los Angeles.

The Lakers clearly aren’t done reshaping their roster around Doncic and Reaves, with the team looking to add another big man and potentially still be in the running to land free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga.

It’ll be interesting to see how things shift around the NBA now that LeBron is headed to Philadelphia. Kuminga was linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers if LeBron chose not to go back home, so the 23-year-old forward could be headed to the Cavs now that they have to pivot.

Los Angeles is a team that will remain active as the post-LeBron era officially begins, with the roster overhaul not done yet.

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