Lakers News: If New CBA Lowers Draft Eligibility Timeline, What Would Bryce James Do?

Will the current eligibility standards will still be in place for Bronny James?

Some fresh news has arrived that may impact how just long LeBron James may have to wait to play with his two high school-age sons.

The NBA and the league's players association, the NBPA, are working towards developing a fresh Collective Bargaining Agreement this season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The two sides' latest finalized CBA currently is scheduled to expire after the 2023-24 season, but the league and the players' union could also agree opt out of the latest agreement this year by December 15th.

Under terms of the present agreement, players need to either be 19 years old or one year removed from high school to be draft-eligible. A new CBA could change that. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweeted that this so-called "one-and-done rule" is set to remain in place for many years. Though the NBPA has been hopeful to adjust this sooner rather than later, the league's ownership group is reticent.

Other issues being weighed in conversations include developing "generational wealth" for NBA athletes beyond their playing days, executive director Tamika Tremaglio informs Charania. Both sides are also contemplating expanding injury reports to include language for mental health absences, and perhaps a harsher luxury tax in an effort to dissuade teams with wealthier owners from overspending on their teams.

Yesterday, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports posited that Lakers All-NBA forward LeBron James's eldest son, LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., will probably still need to wait a year after completing his tenure at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth before he can become draft-eligible, as the one-and-done rule appears set to remain the law of the land for the immediate future. That would put the earliest arrival window for 6'2" point guard Bronny, a rising senior, at the time of the 2024 draft. Bronny is currently expected to be a late-first round/early second-round draft selection at best.

LeBron has long stated that he hopes to play alongside Bronny on an NBA team, floating the possibility that he could opt out of the final year of his Los Angeles extension, 2024-25, to sign with whichever team drafts Bronny in free agency. More recently, James also told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that he wants to linger long enough to suit up next to Bryce, a current rising sophomore, as well.

That said, Quinn opines that James's younger son, Bryce, just 15 at present, could conceivably become draft-eligible a year earlier than initially expected, assuming the new CBA does contain eventual language for a relaxing of the one-and-done rule. James has mentioned that he would consider sticking around in the league long enough to play with both his sons. Were Bryce to be drafted in 2025 at age 18, James would be entering his 23rd NBA season.