Dwight Howard Takes A Shot At LeBron James And Bronny, Says They Will Be First-Round Exits Next Year

Former Lakers big man Dwight Howard does not see a bright future for his former team. Speaking on 'the OGs Show,' Howard revealed his predictions for their big moves this summer and explained with confidence that LeBron will be back in the Purple and Gold next season. 

“They’re getting Bronny next year, LeBron said, 'Listen, I’m not signing till y’all get Bronny…' he’s playing for the Lakers. Bron gonna play his 21st season with the Lakers and they gonna get the first round exit again.”

Drafting Bronny would be a good choice for the Lakers and securing LeBron for the final stretch of his career would be a great way to end such a memorable era. Even so, Howard only sees this ending in one way for the Lake Show.

"It's over with," said Howard. "The new kids are on the block. It's gonna be hard for a lot of these older teams to win with these new kids on the block."

The Lakers had a nice ride with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but it's hard to believe their run will go on for much longer. James is set to turn 40 in December and Anthony Davis is reaching the age where his long history of injury problems may start to take their toll on his body.

Between the aging stars and the rise of young dynasties like the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics, there isn't much room at the top and the Lakers don't have enough to keep up with the elites. Even if LeBron comes back and the Lakers are able to make some trades, they are still a long way off from being a team that anyone can call favorites in the West.

Bronny James Has A Big Decision

As the son of NBA royalty, Bronny James will be one of the biggest stories of the summer, and every basketball fan will have their eyes fixed on what happens in his young career.

After finishing his freshman season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 36% shooting, James moved to the transfer portal this spring, where he remains to this day. In his current state, Bronny is free to either join the NBA or return to the NCAA to whichever school is interested.

The decision is ultimately Bronny's decision on which path he wants to follow this summer, and there are advantages to either choice. At least, for now, he seems to be leaning toward the NBA and it makes sense if his plan is to play with his dad as quickly as possible.

With nothing else to lose, the Lakers could use one of their lower-end picks in a weak draft to spend on Bronny and it makes the most sense for them given their commitment to satisfying the King. We already know the Lakers are interested in this outcome and they may not hesitate if it guarantees a commitment from LeBron.

Unfortunately, none of it is likely to be enough to result in any kind of long playoff run. As Dwight Howard and many others believe, the Lakers are well and truly cooked, and the most they can hope for is that they will go out strong in what's left of the LeBron James era.