Lakers guard Bronny James is getting the full NBA experience less than two months into his rookie season. After navigating injury and multiple G League assignments, the 20-year-old has now been mentioned in trade rumors.
Unlike other players, however, James' mention in trade rumors is a direct product of him being the eldest son of Lakers teammate LeBron James. Because LeBron has recently been mentioned in trade rumors, reports indicate Bronny would "have to" be included in any potential deal.
"Sources close to the Lakers did say that, if James asked the Lakers to trade him, they would work with him to find a deal that lands him where he'd rather be," ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin reported. "If James was traded, it's also believed Bronny James would have to be part of the deal."
MORE: Potential landing spots for LeBron James amid latest trade rumors
Los Angeles has stumbled since getting out to a 10-4 start to the season. As a result, there have been rumblings of teams inquiring about LeBron's availability on the trade market.
With that in mind, all signs currently indicate LeBron wants to remain a Laker, as the title of Irwin's article takes the stance that LA will not trade the four-time MVP.
Things can change in a blink in the NBA, however, and LeBron seemingly could become available with a change of heart. If he does express a desire to be moved, expect several teams to work swiftly and quickly to execute a deal that brings in both halves of the father-son duo.
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Financially speaking, the duo is earning roughly $50 million together this season. To execute a deal, a team would have to come close to that salary and have available roster spots for two players, given Bronny's standard NBA deal.
These rumors have heated up as LeBron is just weeks away from his 40th birthday. Meanwhile, Bronny has recently returned from a heel injury and turned in the best performance of his professional career with 16 points in an NBA G League game on Dec. 7.
While all 30 NBA teams now have their own G League affiliate, not all play in the same metropolitan area as their NBA counterpart.
With Bronny only playing in South Bay Lakers home games to start, the location of G League teams could be a factor to consider if the James duo is a package deal. For any of it to matter, however, LeBron must first request a trade.
BRONNY JAMES STATS: Complete G League game logs | Complete NBA game logs
Bronny James contract detailsJames signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers. His contract is fully guaranteed through the 2025-26 season.
The third year of James' contract becomes fully guaranteed on June 29, 2026. The fourth year of his contract is a team option that becomes fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2028.
All salary figures via Spotrac.
Season Salary Age 2024-25 $1,157,153 20 2025-26 $1,955,377 21 2026-27 $2,296,271 (Partial Guarantee) 22 2027-28 $2,486,995 (Team Option) 23 LeBron James contract detailsJames signed a two-year maximum contract worth $101.4 million with the Lakers during the 2024 offseason. He has a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Here are the terms of his deal:
Season Salary Age 2024-25 $48,728,845 40 2025-26 $52,627,153 (Player option) 41MORE NBA NEWS:
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