Eastern Conference GM: Everyone is preparing for Bronny James to go into NBA draft

Although Bronny James is struggling as a freshman in the NCAA, NBA teams may be preparing to find a way to land him this offseason.

While the Los Angeles Lakers continue to have trouble winning games as consistently as they’re perhaps capable of, the reality of LeBron James’ ability to opt out of his contract this summer continues to loom.

There may not be many people who expect the 39-year-old to leave the Lakers this offseason. But given the team’s struggles, as well as its chances of losing early in the playoffs or even missing the playoffs altogether, it is a possibility.

One of the possible factors in which team James will suit up for next season is what happens with his son Bronny. The younger James is a freshman at the University of Southern California. Given his very poor numbers this season, many believe it is in his best interest to stay in school for at least one more season.

Yet there is increasing chatter he may take his chances and declare for this year’s NBA draft. In fact, one executive of an Eastern Conference team says everyone is doing their due diligence to prepare for the younger James’ potential entry into the draft this June (h/t The Cold Wire).

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that while the elder James would be “head over heels excited” to play on the same team as his son, it will not be a consideration when it comes to which team he will play for next season.

But perhaps another team getting its hands on the younger James, combined with a weak finish by the Lakers this season, could entice the elder James to join that team.

LeBron James’ double-digit scoring streak is now longer than Lakers great’s career

LeBron James’ streak of scoring at least 10 points in each game has gotten ridiculous.

When it comes to the legacy and resume of LeBron James, the greatest thing he has going for him is his longevity. It is arguable if he has the greatest or most productive peak in NBA history, but his prime is arguably longer than that of any other player in league history.

On the season, he’s averaging 25.3 points, 8.0 assists and 7.1 assists a game while shooting 53.0% overall and 40.7% from 3-point range. No, he doesn’t exactly play a whole lot of defense anymore, but other than that, the 39-year-old has been about as productive as he’s ever been.

After sitting out a game due to ankle soreness, James returned to action on Sunday and delivered 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-109. That performance meant that his streak of consecutive games with double-digit points is now at 1,208.

That’s one game more than former Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal played throughout his entire NBA career.

That streak is the longest such streak in NBA history. James long ago passed Michael Jordan, who previously held the record after surpassing another legendary Laker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in that category.

LeBron James gives a shoutout to D’Angelo Russell for his huge game

LeBron James showed some love to teammate D’Angelo Russell after he carried the Lakers to a clutch win over the Bucks on Friday.

LeBron James left the Los Angeles Lakers’ game on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings early because his hurt ankle was acting up. He has been dealing with that bad ankle for the better part of this season, and it kept him out of action on Friday versus the Milwaukee Bucks.

Some may have dismissed the Lakers’ chances on Friday against Giannis Antetokounmpo and crew. Instead, they served up a 123-122 upset and improved to 35-30.

The leading man on Friday was guard D’Angelo Russell, who went into volcano mode and threw in 44 points while hitting nine 3-pointers, which tied a career-high for him. James gave Russell some love on social media following the win.

Russell overcame some incessant trade rumors to start playing outstanding basketball in mid-January, and he hasn’t fallen back to earth since. For the year, he’s averaging 18.1 points and 6.2 assists a game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 42.4% from downtown.

The Lakers will face another stiff test on Sunday when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Karl-Anthony Towns will not play for Minnesota, L.A. will need another inspired performance, even if James is well enough to play.

LeBron James gives shoutout to Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark

LeBron James pays tribute to NCAA Division I scoring leader Caitlin Clark.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made history on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career points scored.

Less than 24 hours later, another historic scoring record was rewritten in college basketball

In the final game of Iowa’s regular season, Caitlin Clark surpassed Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in Division I NCAA basketball history. Clark scored 35 points in a 93-83 victory over Ohio State, bringing her all-time total to 3,685 points. Maravich scored 3,667 points for LSU.

James paid tribute to Clark on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the game, sending his congratulations for breaking the record.

NBA Twitter reacts to LeBron James reaching 40,000 career points

On social media, NBA fans couldn’t help but give LeBron James his flowers for scoring his 40,000th career point.

LeBron James hit yet another major individual career milestone on Saturday when he became the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points. He did so early in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ nationally televised contest against the Denver Nuggets.

James continues to play at a high level in his 21st pro season. He scored an efficient 26 points to go along with nine assists on Saturday, and on the season, he’s averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 assists and 7 rebounds a game while shooting 52.7% from the field and 40.8% from 3-point range.

Unfortunately, the occasion was dampened when the Lakers lost, 124-114, to the defending world champs. Fans on social media couldn’t help giving James his flowers.

Wojnarowski updates Bronny James’ potential entry into the NBA

According to the ESPN NBA insider, Bronny James may be headed for the NBA sooner than expected, and not necessarily to play with his dad.

As June approaches, people across the basketball world are not only wondering what team LeBron James will play for next season but also whether his son Bronny will declare for the NBA draft or remain at the University of Southern California for at least one more year.

It is widely believed, based on the elder James’ own words, that he wants to play alongside his son. Although he can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent this summer, plenty of people are starting to believe he will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Just before the Lakers hosted the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski offered some interesting nuggets on what the near future may hold for both the elder and younger James.

“I talked to Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, obviously LeBron James’ agent,” Wojnarowski said. “He will also be Bronny James’ representative. A couple of things they’re really gonna look at when they make a decision about leaving school or returning for a sophomore year at USC: No. 1, Rich Paul and LeBron James, Bronny James will be far less interested in how high he will be picked, but is the right team interested — the right developmental situation for him, perhaps later in the first round. But here’s one thing that won’t be a consideration, I was told by Rich Paul: the idea that he needs to play with LeBron James, be on the same roster, play with him on the Lakers. As Rich Paul said to me, if it organically happened, LeBron would be head over heels excited to play with Bronny. But in Rich Paul’s words, LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man.”

If what Wojnarowski reported is true, perhaps there’s a greater chance the elder James will remain with the Lakers past this season, as it wouldn’t be contingent on them drafting his son or bringing him in as an undrafted free agent.

The younger James doesn’t look like an NBA-ready prospect right now. But the bright lights and big money of pro basketball often cause college players to make the jump to the next level earlier than some think they should.

John Hollinger, a former NBA executive, recently said that his NBA upside seems limited, and he doesn’t seem like a one-and-done college player right now.

LeBron James is closing in on 40,000 career points

LeBron James is nearing yet another major individual career milestone.

In his 21st season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is still going strong. He may not be the best player in the NBA anymore. According to some, he’s not even a top-10 player. But, in any given game, he can still be the best.

An excellent example was Wednesday night’s game versus the Los Angeles Clippers when he outscored the Clippers, 19-16, in the fourth quarter while leading the Lakers back from a 21-point deficit to a 116-112 win.

It was the largest fourth-quarter deficit a James-led team had ever overcome to achieve victory.

Now, the 39-year-old, who is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is nearing yet another major accomplishment: 40,000 career points. He needs just 40 points to get there.

The Lakers will play the Washington Wizards on Thursday, and while it is unknown whether he will play, there seems to be a feeling that he will suit up.

One may expect him to go out and try to secure his 40,000th point on Thursday, but it is much more likely he will put the focus on the team, especially since the Wizards are tied for the league’s worst record.

If James doesn’t get there on Thursday, he will likely do so on Saturday. That’s when the Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets. Of course, a win against the defending world champs would be much more important than James reaching yet another scoring milestone.

LeBron James is committed to playing for Team USA in Summer Olympics

It looks like LeBron James in on track to playing in the Olympics for a fourth time this summer.

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are slowly approaching, and USA Basketball has been eyeing it as an opportunity to reassert its superiority over the rest of the world in the sport of basketball.

It had a disappointing finish in last year’s FIBA World Cup by failing to win a medal. Shortly afterward, a number of NBA superstars, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Anthony Davis, expressed their desire to play in the 2024 Olympics.

It has led to some dubbing the potential roster in Paris the “Avengers,” as it looks to be a monstrous attempt to bring the gold medal back to the United States.

Although he has been dealing with an ankle ailment, James said he’s still committed to playing for Team USA this summer.

“Yeah, I mean, I told myself before the season when I committed to being a part of the Olympic team, obviously it was all predicated on my health,” James said. “As it stands right now, I am healthy enough to be on the team and perform at a level that I knew I could perform at. Like you said, there’s still time left in the season, a third left in the regular season. Obviously, I don’t know what the future holds as far as postseason, whatever the case may be. Like you said, it’s 11 games, but it is 5 1/2 weeks, and it’s more miles put on these tires.

“I’ve always — if I’m committed, which I am, to Team USA, then I’m going to commit my mind, body and soul to being out there for Team USA, being out there representing our country with the utmost respect and go out and play. But the one thing I know for sure, I don’t have to carry the load. I’ve never had to carry the load on any one of the three teams I’ve been on, the ’04 team, the ’08 team and the ’12 team. I just try to do my best and be as great as I can be on the floor in the minutes I’m out there.

“I’m not sure right now what the full team is going to look like, but from some of the names, I know I don’t have to feel any pressure going out there to feel like I have to carry the team. That’s going to be a full 12-man roster that’s capable of doing it both offensively and defensively on any given night versus any country in the world.”

James has already represented the Stars and Stripes in the Olympics three times. During his first appearance in the Summer Games in 2004, Team USA infamously only won the bronze medal, but it bounced back with his help to win the gold in 2008 and 2012.

As he alluded to, the main concern if he heads to Paris this year is the added wear and tear it would mean for him, not to mention the greatly reduced rest and recuperation time during the offseason.

LeBron James says he will let Bronny James decide when to declare for NBA draft

It looks like LeBron James will not pressure his son Bronny to declare for the NBA draft.

People across the basketball world are starting to wonder what the immediate future will hold for LeBron James. Will he stay with the Los Angeles Lakers past this season, or will he go to what he feels would be greener pastures?

He has said he wants to play alongside his son Bronny James. However, the younger James, who is currently a freshman at the University of Southern California, doesn’t appear ready to take on the NBA, even though many said months ago that he has lottery pick potential.

It is unknown when the younger James will declare for the NBA draft. But his father said prior to Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game that he will let the younger James decide for himself.

“It’s up to him, it’s up to the kid. We’re going to go through the whole process. He’s still in season now. He has the Pac-12 tournament coming up. … We’re going to weigh all options and we’re going to let the kid make the decision.”

One former NBA executive, John Hollinger, recently told The Athletic that the younger James is “not a guy who would normally be a one-and-done” and suggested his ceiling could be “akin to that of Gary Harris.” Harris has been a decent NBA player for the last several seasons, but a star he is not.

Perhaps staying in college for a while could result in the younger James developing the ability to become more than simply a decent complementary player in the pros.

Raptors, among other teams, are scouting Bronny James

LeBron James’ son Bronny is attracting some NBA scouts during his freshman year at the University of Southern California.

An interesting subplot in LeBron James’ immediate future with the Los Angeles Lakers is how his son Bronny could play into it. The younger James is a freshman at the University of Southern California, and many have been expecting him for a while to declare for this year’s NBA draft.

The elder James has a player option for next season that he could decline to become a free agent this summer. He has stated he wants to play alongside his son in the NBA.

The Lakers are reportedly open to adding the younger James should he declare for the draft this year to keep the elder James happy. However, they may not be the only team seriously interested in the 19-year-old.

The Toronto Raptors are also reportedly scouting him (h/t Lakers Daily).

The younger James’ stats this year at USC haven’t been impressive, and he is shooting well under 40% from the field. It’s starting to look like staying in school, perhaps even for two or three more years, might be his best move.