In his illustrious 21-year NBA career, there are only a few things left for LeBron James to achieve. One that he has been most vocal about is getting to share the court alongside his eldest son, Bronny James, before he concluded his career. Bronny, who was projected to be a top-10 pick in the first version of ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s 2024 NBA mock draft, was omitted from his recent list. However, being James’ son comes with its perks. Despite an uneven collegiate start to his collegiate career at USC, teams are swarming to draft the 19-year-old, thanks in part to a presumed package deal with Pops.

James has explicitly stated that he is willing to join the team that will pick his son in the draft so they can play together, even emphasizing that money isn’t a sticking point. The recent odds suggest that a homecoming is likely on the horizon for the 4x NBA Champion.

How might LeBron James’ biggest NBA dream pan out?

In a bid to lure in one of the biggest stars, a few teams have already been tussling to secure the draft rights of Bron’s oldest son. Three of the Top 4 teams that have the highest odds are James’ current or former teams, namely the Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers. Despite the Lakers being the frontrunners (+600) to draft Bronny, that might not be the case. Due to the Anthony Davis trade four years ago, in 2019, the Lakers no longer control their first-round pick in 2024. The next most favorable odds revolve around the Heat, Cavaliers, and Knicks, all sharing a +1100 tie.

According to Charles Oakley, LeBron confided in him that he would never consider playing for the Knicks, citing concerns related to the controversial owner James Dolan. This narrows down potential destinations for the father-son pairing to Miami and Cleveland. James has a history with both teams, commencing his career with the Cavaliers, securing multiple championships with the Heat, and later returning to the Cavs to clinch Cleveland’s first title.

However, if the Heat select Bronny in the draft, they hold the power to thwart James’ NBA dreams by choosing not to trade for James, given their messy divorce. The ideal scenario in this case would be if the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Bronny. This could very well set the stage for James to cap his career where he started it—in his hometown of Ohio.

Regardless of the circumstances, Akron Hammer is prepared to go to any lengths to have the opportunity to play alongside his son. Before the commencement of the 2022–23 NBA season, LeBron inked a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lakers, featuring a player option for 2024–25. Consequently, James would attain free agency just as Bronny enters the league, granting him the flexibility to join any team that selects Bronny in the draft.