The Los Angeles Lakers, after being booted by the Denver Nuggets from the playoffs for the second consecutive season, have reached the bargaining stage.
The prize being retaining Akron native LeBron James at all costs.
In a post-mortem on the Lakers' wayward season, The Athletic's team of NBA writers report the Lakers are willing to go out on a limb to keep James' services. He can opt out this offseason.
James' stated goal for more than a decade has been to play with his son. It's a statement he later amended to include competing against him. That time may be now.
What's more, team sources say the Lakers are very open to the prospect of helping LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son Bronny by potentially drafting him. Bronny James declared for the NBA draft after his freshman season at USC.
However, Bronny James' path to the NBA may have hit a stumbling block with his performance during his freshman season. It's difficult to say whether that was due to lack of development on the court or something related to the cardiac emergency that required surgery. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Trojans this season.
Where could he go in the draft. Here's what The Athletic had to say:
His hard-to-handicap NBA future remains a topic of great debate, but rival teams believe it is not a matter of if he is a draft pick, but whether the selection range, location and fit are enough to keep him in the draft.
The fit would seem to be the Lakers because, according to the report, Los Angeles wants LeBron James to return. James is still a marvel on the court at 39, having averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists this past season. Still, drafting Bronny to ensure he does so smacks of desperation.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Lakers willing to take Bronny James to keep LeBron, report says
