NBA Rumors: LeBron, Cavaliers reunion won’t come by drafting Bronny James

As the NBA tracks the tail end of LeBron James’ career, two distinct possibilities for his final chapter have been hinted at by the GOAT. The first is that he would like to play with his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. The second is that he may want to return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

The all-time leading scorer in NBA history is currently in the fourth “chapter” of his career, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and winning his fourth title in his third city. Yet the Lakers have been hemorrhaging talent over the past couple of seasons, so that even as James extends his prime into his late-30s his championship odds have decreased.

James’ home is in Los Angeles now, and that’s the centerpiece of his off-court career and business interests. Still, if he wants to make a run at another title, he may need to leave in free agency one last time in 2024.

LeBron James might leave for one final team in free agency

The Cavaliers will almost certainly be title contenders at that point, continuing to grow as one of the youngest competing teams in the league. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will all be firmly in their primes, and it would take something unexpected for them not to have one of the 10 best records in the league in 2023-24.

That is significant because the 2024 is when LeBron James’ son, Bronny, will be draft eligible. LeBron the elder has been vocal about wanting to play with his son, and it’s long been rumored that the fast track to wooing James for his final act would be to draft Bronny James.

For the past couple of years, the question has been whether Bronny would be an NBA-caliber player. Would a team need to burn a pick on Bronny to try and entice his father to join them? The latest intel on the 2024 draft class, however, completely dispels that notion.

ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony released the first 2024 NBA Mock Draft, and Bronny James not only makes an appearance, he makes an entrance. He debuted at 10th, an unexpected rise for a player thought to be more name-value than future star.

Here is what Givony wrote about the high school senior:

Bronny James is not only a legitimate NBA prospect, he is now a Lottery prospect. Apparently, having elite genes, resources and coaching gives you a path to developing as a young person, and in the past year Bronny has made himself into a legitimate one-and-done level of prospect.

The Cavaliers may have been considering a family reunion in 2024. They own their own pick that year, the last year they will for some years after the Donovan Mitchell trade. As recently as a week ago, you could spin the case for drafting Bronny James in the second round, making a return home the obvious final spot for LeBron James. The two play together in the wine and gold.

Now that plan is certainly out the window. That doesn’t mean James returning to The Land one final time is off the table, just that drafting Bronny as a way to entice him back is now gone. To his credit, Bronny has developed himself into a high-level prospect, and it seems likely that he will be off the table by the time the Cavaliers pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The reality that the Cavaliers will be picking late speaks to the strength and upside of their team, and there are exciting years ahead. Bringing LeBron back might not even be an unequivocal positive depending on how he ages. Still, it was a fun future to dream of, and now that dream has been puffed out by reality.