Updated

Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 1

LeBron James Ends 8-Year Lakers Run as Austin Reaves Thanks Him After $185 Million Deal

Updated

Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 1

LeBron James Ends 8-Year Lakers Run as Austin Reaves Thanks Him After $185 Million Deal

Q: As LeBron exits LA, will he face his son Bronny in an unprecedented father-son NBA rivalry next season?

Yes—if LeBron James signs elsewhere as expected and Bronny James remains with the Lakers, they are set to become the NBA’s first father-son opponents next season. The key facts point that way. LeBron has told the Lakers he will not return for 2026-27 and is now an unrestricted free agent, with Rich Paul saying 12 to 14 teams have already shown interest. Bronny, meanwhile, is under contract with Los Angeles after his $2.3 million deal for 2026-27 became fully guaranteed this week. That means the only thing still unresolved is LeBron’s destination. Unless he unexpectedly retires or somehow returns to the Lakers despite informing them he is leaving, father and son would be on opposing teams whenever LeBron’s new club plays Los Angeles. Given the NBA schedule, that would almost certainly produce at least two regular-season matchups, and possibly more depending on conference alignment and any playoff meeting. What cannot yet be said with certainty is when or where the first matchup would happen, because LeBron has not signed. But the scenario is no longer hypothetical in broad terms: Bronny is staying, LeBron is leaving, and the league is now on the verge of a historic family rivalry after already witnessing the father-son pairing as teammates.

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Jul 1

LeBron James told the Lakers he will not return for 2026-27, ending an eight-year stint that had overlapped with Austin Reaves' entire NBA career.
Austin Reaves responded on Instagram with "Thank you for everything" and "See you on the golf course soon brother!" days after signing a four-year, $185 million extension with Los Angeles.
23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game helped fuel Reaves' breakout 2025-26 season, with James widely seen as a key influence in his rise from undrafted rookie to core piece.
About 12 to 14 teams have already contacted James' agent, Rich Paul, with the Warriors, Cavaliers, Heat, Timberwolves and Nuggets among reported suitors for the 2026-27 season.