Lebron James and Bronny James. Image via: Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers guaranteed Bronny James’s contract for 2026-27 even after LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in July 2026. Bronny, 21, earns $2.2 million on a 16-man roster that must trim to 15 before opening night. Los Angeles is also pursuing Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga, 6-foot-7, while insiders Tyler Watts and Dan Woike say the Lakers value Bronny’s locker room standing. The Lakers guaranteed his contract before his father even signed with the 76ers, and nothing since has suggested they plan to move on from the 21-year-old guard, even as his name keeps surfacing in trade chatter.
LeBron James packed for Philadelphia this summer, ending a two-season run with his son on the same NBA roster. Bronny James did not follow him east.
Category Details Player Bronny James Current Team Los Angeles Lakers Rumored Team Golden State Warriors (via Kuminga sign-and-trade talks) Contract Status Guaranteed for 2026-27; team option for 2027-28 Salary Cap Hit $2.2 million Trade Likelihood Low, but rising if a Kuminga deal advances Latest Insider Update Lakers reportedly seeking real value in any trade involving him, per Dan Woike of The Athletic Los Angeles had a clean window to send Bronny to Philadelphia, or anywhere else, once LeBron’s exit became official. The team locked in his contract for 2026-27 before free agency even opened, and no source has connected him to a specific trade since. At 21, with two uneven NBA seasons behind him, he remains on the roster by design, not oversight. The Lakers have shopped Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy to trim the 16-man roster to 15, but rival teams have passed on those packages so far.
The chatter is based on Jonathan Kuminga, the Golden State forward the Lakers have chased for weeks while retooling around Luka Doncic. Los Angeles has offered up other roster pieces first, but insiders say none of those packages have moved the needle. Bronny’s guaranteed money and the team’s open roster spot now make him one of the more realistic trade chips left on the roster, even if the front office would rather keep him. Obviously, nobody made that call, at least as of now. Los Angeles needs a starting power forward before training camp opens, and ex- Hawks and Warrior star Kuminga fits that hole. That stalemate is what keeps Bronny’s name circulating anywhere near the Kuminga talks. Watts has also floated Bronny as the asset that finally gets a Kuminga package accepted, since offers built around Vanderbilt, Knecht and Hardy have drawn no takers and the roster is short on movable pieces. Nothing in the Lakers’ recent behavior supports that outcome, but a team boxed in on tradable value has fewer options left than it did in July.
