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If LeBron James is going to ever play in an NBA game with his son, it’s looking like he’s going to have to play until the 2025-26 season.
Amidst Bronny James’ underwhelming freshman season at the University of Southern California, ESPN has removed the 19-year-old guard from its 2024 mock draft and now projects him to be selected in 2025.
Not only has ESPN bumped James back to the 2025 draft, but they’ve also predicted that he’ll be neither a lottery pick nor a first-round pick, as they have him being taken in the second round.
By the time 2025 rolls around, LeBron will be approaching his 42nd birthday and will have been in the NBA for an astounding 22 seasons. It’s also not clear what team LeBron will even be playing for at that point, as he’ll be able to opt out of his contract with the Lakers at the end of next season.
“It’s up to him, it’s up to the kid,” LeBron told reporters regarding his son’s draft status. “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.”
This season, his first at USC, James is playing about 20 minutes per game and is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest.
Unless the USC Trojans can pull off a major upset and win the Pac-12 tournament, it’s highly unlikely that they qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season as they currently sit 11th in the Pac-12 with a record of 11-16 and a conference record of 5-11.