Bronny James' Lakers Contract Became Fully Guaranteed Monday

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Bronny James' Lakers Contract Became Fully Guaranteed Monday

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jun 30, 2026 10:38 AM ET

At least one member of the James family could stay with the Los Angeles Lakers next season.

LeBron James' future remains a mystery as the NBA's free-agent window officially opens on Tuesday evening. The 41-year-old superstar could seek a new destination to conclude his legendary career.

That doesn't necessarily mean the Lakers will part ways with Bronny James.

The Lakers could have saved approximately $1 million by waiving the future Hall of Famer's son by Monday. However, the 21-year-old remains part of the roster on Tuesday morning.

Spotrac's Kevin Smith noted that Bronny's $2.3 million contract is now fully guaranteed.

Reviewing Bronny's second season

Many fans cried nepotism when the Lakers drafted Bronny James with the No. 55 pick of the 2024 draft. He and LeBron made NBA history as the first father-son duo to share the court as teammates.

After playing 27 games as a rookie, Bronny appeared in 42 games for the Lakers last season. The guard averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 assists per game in a mitigated role before receiving some scarce playing time in the postseason.

Bronny also made some notable shooting strides, upping his field-goal percentage from 31.3 to 40.9 percent while making 22 of his 57 three-point attempts. He tallied double-digit points in three of his last six regular-season games while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor.

Does Bronny move affect LeBron's free agency?

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 22, 2024: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and his son Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) sit next to each other on the bench during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on October 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Gina Ferazzi/Getty Images

Observers may wonder if Bronny's contract situation has any ramifications for LeBron's next (and potentially last) free-agent decision.

It's hard to imagine the Lakers would have waived Bronny if they wanted LeBron to return. However, the move hardly ensures that the all-time leading scorer stays.

The Golden State Warriors are reportedly trying to sign LeBron and acquire Anthony Davis in a trade with the Washington Wizards. LeBron, Davis, and Draymond Green, who declined a $27.6 million player option on Monday to give Golden State more cap flexibility, are all represented by agent Rich Paul.

Bronny's contract remains modest enough for the Lakers to move on if they choose. But even if they lose LeBron, they don't have to part ways with a young, inexpensive talent who has taken some strides early in his career.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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