Bryce James' Top Potential Landing Spots in 2026 after 2025 NBA Draft
Over the next year, stars from the college game and overseas will emerge as top prospects in the 2026 NBA draft, but one name is already of intrigue.
Bryce James, son of Los Angeles Lakers star and NBA legend LeBron James, will be eligible for next year's draft and could have the chance to join his father and brother, Bronny, in the NBA.
Bryce, a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports' composite rankings, will spend the 2025-26 season playing at Arizona, where he'll look to prove himself NBA-ready. Whether he'll be a one-and-done or stick around in college is to be determined, but here are some potential landing spots if he does declare for the draft.
Los Angeles Lakers
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The most obvious landing spot for Bryce is his father and brother's team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers took Bronny in the second round a year ago and were seemingly adamant about getting him in that spot. Bronny's agent, Rich Paul reportedly told teams that if they selected Bronny, he would go play in Australia.
It's hard to say whether Los Angeles would once again be that committed to drafting one of LeBron's sons, but if Bryce is available when its the Lakers' turn to draft, it seems unlikely they would pass on him.
There was naturally some criticism after the Lakers drafted Bronny last year, but the move worked out well. While Bronny didn't see the court much, he got to experience all that comes with being an NBA player while getting his reps in the G League.
Assuming the younger Bryce is a similar prospect, joining the Lakers and splitting time in the NBA and G League could be the right call.
Miami Heat
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If there's a team that excels at turning late-round draft picks into everyday NBA players, it's the Miami Heat.
Landing in Miami could be the perfect thing for Bryce early in his career. Barring a standout freshman year, it seems unlikely he'll be as NBA-ready as prospects like AJ Dybantsa and others. Like Bronny, Bryce will need some time to develop, and Miami would be a great place for him to do that.
Not to mention, he would also be afforded the opportunity to play under Erik Spoelstra, who his father won a pair of championships with earlier in his career.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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Could the James family team up in Cleveland for LeBron's final chapter?
If LeBron wants to have a storybook ending to his illustrious career, he could return to the team that drafted him, just a short drive from his hometown, and play with his sons.
Considering the Cavaliers are a competitive team at the moment, they might not be willing to sign James for what could be his final year while giving him free reign to bring Bronny with him in a potential trade and draft Bryce, but it's not an impossible outcome.
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