Rich Paul, founder of Klutch Sports Group and agent to superstars including LeBron James, clarified on Wednesday that there is no package deal involving LeBron and his son, Bronny James, in the upcoming NBA Draft. Paul revealed that limiting Bronny’s draft workouts to select teams is a deliberate strategy aimed at finding a suitable fit and ensuring a guaranteed contract for Bronny.
Jonathan Givony reported on Tuesday that teams have struggled to secure workouts with Bronny ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, scheduled for June 26–27. So far, Bronny has only worked out with the Lakers and Suns. Paul confirmed this and explained that the goal is to place Bronny with a team that values him and will offer a guaranteed deal rather than a two-way contract.
“This is nothing new,” Paul stated. “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.”
Rich Paul emphasized that his approach with Bronny is consistent with how he has handled previous clients. “If Bronny’s name was Charles Jacobsen and he was my client — I would do the same thing: identify teams that have real interest,” he added. “It’s hard to get real development on a two-way deal. I don’t care about him going to the Lakers, or Phoenix, or about what number he gets picked. It’s about fit.”
Bronny is widely projected to be a second-round pick. CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone has him going No. 43 to the Miami Heat in the latest mock draft. Speculation has suggested that a team might draft Bronny earlier than expected to entice LeBron, who is expected to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent, to sign with them. LeBron has previously expressed a desire to play with his son, but Paul addressed LeBron’s current stance on this matter.
“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “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.”
Despite Bronny working out with the Suns, their only pick is No. 22, and it is uncertain if they would reach that high for him, especially given Paul’s comments. The Lakers, who hold the No. 55 pick, seem a likely destination for Bronny, fitting within his projected range. However, Paul mentioned three other teams that could be potential landing spots: the Raptors, Mavericks, and Timberwolves.
“There are other teams that love Bronny. For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it’s not the Lakers, it will be someone else,” Paul said. “Minnesota would love to get Bronny in, but I don’t know who their owner is going to be. [Mavs GM] Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers don’t take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and give him a guaranteed deal. Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president], loves him. They could take him without even seeing him at 31. Workouts aren’t everything for these teams.”
Bronny faced a setback at the start of his freshman season at USC due to a sudden cardiac arrest last summer. After being cleared by doctors, he made his debut in December, playing 25 games for the Trojans and averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds. As draft night approaches, the focus remains on finding the best fit for Bronny’s development and future in the NBA.
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