LeBron James has made it no secret that one of his remaining goals before retiring from the NBA is to play alongside his eldest son, Bronny.
“That would be an unbelievable moment not only for myself but for my family, for everybody,” he said during an interview. “That would be pretty dang cool if I were able to be on the NBA floor with my oldest son.”
When LeBron signed his massive two-year, $85 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, he timed it so that he would become a free agent precisely when Bronny would theoretically be able to enter the NBA Draft.
Bronny, 16, is presently a member of Sierra Canyon High School’s basketball team. Although he often finds himself in the headlines for secret TikTok accounts, girlfriend speculation, potential dalliances with Instagram models, and maybe getting grounded by LeBron, he is widely regarded as a top-30 prospect in his 2023 class. If he skips college, he would ostensibly be able to play alongside his father exactly when this most recent extension expires.
Assuming all the stars align, there is going to be one team best positioned to both draft Bronny and sign LeBron. That team? The Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thanks to a series of trades involving players like Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, OKC has 17 first round picks that can be utilized between now and 2026. That is a lot of draft capital that can be used in a myriad of ways.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ reaction to Jordyn Woods’ Buss It video speaks for itself.
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 26, 2021
Because the Thunder have so many picks at their disposal over the next few years, statistically they have the best shot at adding Bronny when and if he chooses to turn pro. From there they can use their remaining draft capital to acquire stars looking to change situations, and then LeBron can just sign as a free agent.
Yes, Oklahoma City isn’t the premiere star-luring destination that Los Angeles is – but do you really think LeBron will care about that at age 39? Nothing would cement his legacy as the greatest of all time more than winning a championship, alongside his son, on the Thunder.
Now we know what motivates Gronk to play so hard. https://t.co/xFnKnjoXQ4
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 24, 2021
Again, a lot needs to work out for this to happen: LeBron must stay healthy, Bronny needs to continue to develop, Sam Presti must keep being conservative with his accumulated draft capital etc.
But none of those things are that crazy.
Michael Jordan and Vince Carter both played into their 40s, so there is no reason to think LeBron won’t be able to as well.
It’s easy to see why McKayla Maroney’s newest video went viral. https://t.co/PtbWaRdjal
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 21, 2021
Bronny has gotten better with every passing year, so continued improvement is likely.
And Presti is one of the smartest minds working in the NBA today, so he’ll likely hold up his end of the bargain.
Will Bronny and LeBron definitely end up on the Thunder together in a couple of years? Obviously it’s impossible to say for certain. But if you’re breaking down the odds, it’s hard to see who has a better chance to make this work.
Related: Chris Brown’s Outraged Response To Ben Simmons Comparison
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
