Agent Rich Paul: Bronny James, LeBron aren't package deal to Lakers, Suns
Cynical minds and true believers alike expect Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his son, former USC guard and 2024 NBA Draft prospect Bronny James, to play together in the NBA. But is that pairing really a shoo-in?
"LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny," Rich Paul, the agent of both LeBron and Bronny James, told ESPN on Wednesday. "If he does, he does. But if he doesn't, he doesn't. There's no deal made that it's guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don't need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn't re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now."
Bronny James has only worked out for two teams: the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers own the No. 17 and 55 picks in the 2024 draft, while the Suns own the No. 22 pick. Both teams are coming off first-round playoff losses and have new head coaches; Phoenix hired former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer to replace Frank Vogel, who was fired after one season, and Los Angeles is seeking a new head coach after firing Darvin Ham.
James went into cardiac arrest last season, delaying the beginning of his freshman season at USC. A former four-star recruit, James appeared in 25 games (six starts), averaging 4.8 points over 19.3 minutes per contest and declared for the draft after the season.
Meanwhile, the 39-year-old James has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season, which he's expected to decline. The four-time NBA Finals MVP and 20-time All-NBA honoree has spent the previous six seasons with the Lakers.
Paul added that the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors have also registered interest in Bronny James, while explaining how he has treated James' draft process the same way he has any of his other clients.
"Bronny is the same as my previous clients," Paul said. "I got the word out early to teams that if you plan on bringing Bronny in, here's what you need to know: If you won't give him a real deal, there's nothing to talk about. It's hard to get real development on a two-way deal."
This browser does not support the Video element.
Paul is the founder of KLUTCH Sports Group, serving as the agent for several prominent NBA players, including James' teammate, Anthony Davis, De'Aaron Fox, Zach LaVine and Draymond Green, among many others.
The 2024 NBA Draft will take place from June 26-27.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]