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Will teams invest into the package of Bronny and LeBron?

Speculation is rising about where Bronny is going to land in the 2024 draft and where his father is going to finish his career at. By the time that year comes, LeBron James will be 40-years-old and his son 20-years-old. Age is not a factor for bronny, but for his father it sure is a huge factor.

While we have seen many of the greats attempt, or achieve, to play at the age of forty; not many could do it at a good level, or at least a level to where they are playable and isn’t a liability. So, before we talk about Bronny and where he is projected to fall in the 2024 NBA Draft, let’s break down LeBron James.

Questions to ask:

Will he be able to perform at 40 like he has been at 37?
Will teams want to take a risk of taking Bronny and having to deal with LeBron?
Would we see a decline in greatness from LeBron James at 40?
Would it be worth the money, roster room, etc to house a potential player and final-year player?
What will be the mindset of LeBron James coming into his 21st season?
What will his play-style look like at age 40?
Will teams want to take on LeBron and his son for a season together?

Those are some, not all, of the questions that should be asked. Today, I will be reviewing the presence of LeBron James today, what that’ll look like at age 40, the rewards and risks of signing ‘Bron and his son, and different questions and perspectives like those previously listed.

Because let’s face the truth, the truth is unknown. We have no idea how bad, or good, LeBron will be in year 21 or his son. All we have currently is speculation and imagining what he will be like. It will be interesting, but maybe our view points will change after this article. So, let’s just into it now.

Lakers have issues and it circles around LeBron James:

Controversy has been surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers as LeBron said he was going to play with his son… no matter where that takes him. Now should that be an issue? In my opinion, no. The man wants to play with his son and he should be able to say that without the NBA World crumbling, but what was the true reason behind the NBA World reacting the way they did to what LeBron said?

Even though the waters have been cleared up now, the reason why fans were reacting the way they did was due to the fact that LeBron was reportedly displeased with the franchise. The way they have been, the players (Westbrook, etc), the season in general, and the front office. Truly I could have went into more issues that faced this organization featuring LeBron James, but these are plenty for context.

Long-story-short, this is why you should never let two players construct an entire roster. It will lead to problems like this as the players they found caused more issues than anyone else in that organization. This all led to a lot of guessing and wondering where LeBron is going to go and the condition between the two.

Contract situation of LeBron James

His contract is for two-years, $85 million dollars as he won’t be a free agent until 2023. All guaranteed money and he is in the first year of his contract. Why is all of this relevant? It is relevant because with the tensions rising, or declining, it led many to ponder on if he would dare to ask to have his contract bought out and/or give up on this team before the expiration of the contract.

CourtSideHeat’s take on this situation is that he will honor his contract, even with anger and disappointment, and hope to see better days. This is a delicate, tricky, balance that everyone needs to understand as the Lakers have a lot riding on this as well as LeBron.

How so? Well, this plays into the contract. If, or when, his contract ends they must have done something great (like win another title) because if not then it will show that the LakeShow experiment was a disaster. Especially if the NBA Bubble Ring is all LeBron has to show for, because wouldn’t that damage his reputation and his image with LA?

Then for the Lakers, wouldn’t it be a monumental failure of having one of the G.O.A.Ts and not able to capitalize on the opportunity? So looking at all of this, we have to understand that this season and next season is critical to impacting legacies.

Let’s say that LeBron doesn’t want to re-sign with the Lakers… will the Lakers force him into re-signing with the franchise?

The Lakers could force the hand of LeBron James, how? Mainly through drafting his son, Bronny, and saying that they’ll give him a one-year deal to play with his son. So if they leave on bad terms, or decent terms, (hypothetically, of course) then it would leave ‘Bron the tough decision of either playing with his son or deciding against the long-awaited desire of playing with his son.

Now, Bronny could decide to force himself out of L.A. and forcing teams to sign his father if they want him. But will Bronny be in that power of position to dictate what happens and when? Probably not, I’ll get into that in a bit.

That is one cruel method of luring back the multi-time champion, would they do that? Probably not, but it all comes down to how LeBron plays at 39-turning-40.

Now, with the background stuff of LeBron done, let’s look at his current age and season:

The future HoFer is having a great season – a normal season that he causally does year-in and year-out. Currently, ‘Bron is 37-years-old and having a terrific season.

His stats:

28.9 points
8.0 rebounds
6.4 assists
1.6 steals
1.0 block
51.8% from the field
35.0% from beyond the arc
36.8 minutes

Like I said, stats amazing beyond comprehension. How many 37-year-olds do we see in the league (past time) doing what LeBron James has been doing? Words cannot express how amazing he has been. In midst of all this drama, craziness, players, management, and everything else that I may be leaving that out.

His stats, for this season, back up the Lakers when they need him. Sure he has had bad games, bad game-winning/tying shots that didn’t go in, etc but he is still 21-21 when the team has him available. The team without him are 6-11; may not seem as significant but it is.

They triple their points scored, double their rebounds, triple their assists, and have more PPG with LeBron on the court. That is just a sample-sized list of what LeBron has done for the Lakers, imagine if he was out for the entire year where they would be at? Scary to even try to picture… if you care for the LakeShow at all.

So to say the least LeBron’s age has not hindered his performance once-so-ever and, in fact, he has done very well for himself this season. This was his best season in terms of scoring since 2009 in his last season with the Cavaliers. That was his last season before heading off to Miami to form the Big 3 that had good times.

Age has not been a factor and it is not looking like it for the upcoming seasons… or will it.

Will LeBron James be able to play at such a high-level come the age of 40?

“Will teams invest into the package of Bronny and LeBron?” That is the question that needs to be answered as this revolves around LeBron mainly. This question we are trying to answer is all being tied into this section of the article; because if he can’t play efficiently at age 40, then how will teams look at him overall when he is a free agent?

Forty-years of age is starting to get old… especially in the world of sports. However, some men have done it. Can LeBron do it? He can and will, but will it be done at a level of which he can still produce and generate positive outcomes for his future team? That all depends on this season, when he is 38-years-old and beyond.

I’m not saying that he can’t or can, all that is being said is that factors can change the way he plays come age 40 or if he is able to play at all. Will teams want to invest into him at the age of 40? That’s a tough question as of right now it would be “yes” but come a year or two later it may change.

Now, by the age of 40, if he is able to average 15/5/5 per game then that is solid and will be perfect as a 40-year-old.

It is not so much as playing high-level but being able to play at a positive level to where it generates success on/off the bench and it doesn’t frustrate the team. I would say if he is generating good moments and periods that good a long way then it would a good resource for a team to pick up.

All of this depends on how teams view LeBron James and what they believe they can get out of him, if they draft his son. All very delicate and tricky.

Overall, should a team invest into the stock of LeBron James?

They should and I’ll tell you why. Firstly, if he continues to perform the way he has by carrying a team (or helping in a minor role) then it will work perfectly for that future team. Secondly, him being in a leadership role will work too. Why? Because he can be a player and a coach (in some ways) to help talent, younger players, and even his own son. That would be interesting as a guy who played 19 seasons, in counting, will give an insight or two. Thirdly, opponents will still take him as a serious threat.

Because even if he is only scoring 10/5/4, it is still profitable for the team and still a guy a team has to cover. Personally, I would be scared to cover LeBron James at the age of 40. Every man is a weapon in an area that they are most comfortable with; for LeBron, that is every area that is major or minor.

Those reasons let alone would be good to invest into LeBron, but these reasons are all subject to change. This all comes down to how his body holds up in two years, his mentality, and different things like that. His priorities are going to change as it will go from championship-mode to father/son-mode. Maybe I am correct maybe I am not, however, the priorities he has now will change in 2023-2024 and beyond.

Switching from LeBron to Bronny: who is he and what is his skill set?

The combo guard from Sierra Canyon is starting to take shape of his own identity and who he is exactly as a player. Bronny James is 6-3 and weighs 190, as he could be eligible for the 2023 draft if he graduates early. If not, then 2024 will be his Draft Class Debut.

247Sports gives him a 4/5 rating as he has some strengths and some weaknesses. The strengths would be his play-making skills, it is to be said that he is a fantastic passer. Potentially could be compared to LaMelo Ball and his play-making abilities from anywhere around the court. He is also a great catch-and-shoot player as that is one of his strengths as a shooter.

Being an offensive player is his style of choice, as it seems offense is the way to go for the son of LeBron James. He does give good effort defensively, but we can all tell he is better offensively. Not saying that he can’t play defense, but that he can do wonders offensively.

Bronny James has great vision of the court and has good shot mechanics, it is proving more and more that the 4-star guard could be getting draft in late first-round, early second-round. But the biggest thing for him to strive to achieve is being more physical and continuing to work on his skills as no man is perfect at the age of 19.

When can we see him drafted?

No one knows for sure, but many have estimated it to be in the second-round. Many executives around the league, when a report came out a few days ago, that they believe Bronny James is a second-rounder at best. It also has to be noted, when looking at the past few drafts that not many 4-star players are selected in the first-round. Brought to you by 247sports.

So, in short, he is expected to go in the second-round. But all of this is subject to change as he still has two NBA seasons to mature and get better at his craft.

CourtSideHeat projects Bronny James to go late first-round, early second-round.

Will teams want to take on LeBron and his son for a season together?

Again, all subject to change, but if I had my crystal ball handy then I would say that teams would be interested. The contingency is that Bronny pans out the way people project him to finish out his career before making it to the NBA Draft and how LeBron is before 2024. I could see teams willing to take a chance on LeBron and his son. Teams only have to give ‘Bron a one-year deal to wrap up his time in the NBA and then they can focus on the development of Bronny.

There are risks and rewards everywhere; however, I believe that teams will run the risk to get a combo guard and a future HoFer to see what they do in that season. Also, we must take a note of something. If Bronny takes the advanced route and is eligible for the 2023 season, then that would be great for LeBron. Why? Due to the fact that he will be a year younger and will allow teams to feel more confident in his ability to play the game efficiently.

More teams will be inclined to go all-in if it is 2023, but some will still be apt to go all-in come 2024. To me, it doesn’t matter as risk is going to be risk. Do you want a younger rookie or do you want an older HoFer? That is the type of question many will ask as it is a very valid one to ask.

I think they would but who knows, it just all depends on elevations and the market itself come 2023-2024.

ANSWERED: “Will teams invest into the package of Bronny and LeBron?”

Yes and no. I believe teams will invest if it works out for them and I believe some teams will not force it. Will some teams try their hardest to get a G.O.A.T and rookie that could pan out tremendously? Most likely, but it is all subjective to what happens in these next two seasons – for LeBron and Bronny.

Will the stock of Bronny rise or fall? Will we see teams be eager to get their figurative hands on the value of LeBron at the age of 39 and/or 40? Do teams want to face money issues if they made a bad investment? How will this all plan out? Questions upon questions can be asked and there will be so many different answers; in the end all that matters is that with each season passing by is another year down for LeBron and another up for Bronny.

Age, money, resources, etc all play an extreme part into what teams will decide. If you think we aren’t coming up on this, then you are crazy. People will begin to talk about this subject next season as they have previewed this topic right here, right now this season.

In essence, the value of LeBron James will determine when and where Bronny falls in his draft class. So let’s take this day by day and let’s see where the stock of LeBron goes – same with Bronny – as many will be waiting to hear and see what happens.

Conclusion:

Mixed answers are still good answers… especially when we are dealing with a subjective topic that will change at any given moment. A father and a son will unite in the NBA at any cost. LeBron may even take a pay-cut to ensure he is able to play with his son. Even if it is only for a year, how cool would it be to see a father-son duo? That would be pretty neat to see and pretty intriguing as to how the future team responds to that.

All I know is that teams will know what they are getting themselves into and what the calculated risks/rewards they are going to inherit. Truth be told, I have no idea that in the world is going to happen until his tenure with the Lakers are over.

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