Can LeBron James and Bronny play for the Lakers in the future? A breakdown of how it could happen

We explain to you in 4 short steps how LeBron James’s dream of playing on the same NBA team as Bronny could turn out to be true.

LeBron James stated in the summer of 2018 in an interview with Business Insider that playing with Bronny would be a dream come true.

“That would be an unbelievable moment not only for myself but for my family, for everybody. That would be pretty dang cool if I were able to be on the NBA floor with my oldest son.”

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It is a heavily unlikely event that relies a lot upon Bronny capitalizing on his upbringing, his dad’s basketball acumen and putting in the hard work required to make the pros. At his current height, Bronny projects as a swingman prospect if he ever plays professionally.

The following 4 things are almost a must to happen for LeBron and Bronny to play together on the Lakers:

#1 Bronny becomes an NBA-caliber player

While there is little to no correlation between high school success and a prospective NBA career, Bronny has been labeled a 4-star recruit in his high school class. There is a ton of work for him to do from this point on to become skilled enough to make the league. It is easily the biggest impediment to him playing with LeBron in the NBA.

#2 NBA allows players straight out of high school

Bronny will finish high school by 2023 if all goes well. LeBron is currently under contract till that season. He will be 39 years old by December 2023, which is basically well past retirement age for nearly every NBA player. If the NBA allows high schoolers to declare for the draft by that time, the window of opportunity for LeBron to play with Bronny becomes a lot wider.

#3 LeBron needs to still be playing at the time

Father Time is undefeated and always shall be, and a player like LeBron, who still puts a lot of pressure on his lower extremities, needs to take extremely good care of his body to stay in the NBA.

#4 The Lakers need to draft or trade for Bronny Jr whenever he’s available

If the one-and-done rule isn’t revoked by the start of the 2023-24 season, the earliest that Bronny will be available in the draft is 2024. The Lakers will need to preserve a pick in the round, and depending on his draft stock at that point, may have to trade up to acquire him.

But if they succeed in doing so, they will have a mantra for the most improbable story in league history – father and son on the same team playing together.