Agent Wealthy Paul has been constant all through the method: He solely needs Bronny James to have a full NBA contract and never a two-way deal, he cares extra about match than precisely which workforce Bronny is taken by, and there’s no hyperlink between drafting Bronny and what LeBron James will do as a possible free agent.
Paul reiterated all these issues in an interview with Jonathan Givony of ESPN, however including a few new tidbits.
First, Bronny has solely labored out for the Lakers and Suns, and that is by design. Different groups have needed to work out Bronny — Paul mentions Dallas, Minnesota, and Toronto — however Paul says he’s centered on match.
“I acquired the phrase out early to groups that in the event you plan on bringing Bronny in, this is what you could know: If you happen to will not give him an actual deal, there’s nothing to speak about. It is laborious to get actual growth on a two-way deal. I do not care about him going to the Lakers, or Phoenix, or about what quantity he will get picked. It is about match…
“There are different groups that love Bronny. For instance, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it is not the Lakers, it is going to be another person. Minnesota would like to get Bronny in, however I do not know who their proprietor goes to be. [Mavs GM] Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers do not take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and provides him a assured deal. Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president,] loves him. They may take him with out even seeing him at 31. Exercises aren’t every little thing for these groups.”
The opposite factor Paul stated was not new a lot as an emphatic reassertion that Bronny and LeBron will not be linked on this course of. Drafting Bronny just isn’t a path to LeBron. To be particular, the second-apron Suns can solely supply a veteran minimal to free brokers, however some Suns followers on-line (or, possibly simply trolls determined for engagement) appeared to assume if Phoenix drafted Bronny then LeBron would choose out of his $51.4 million contract with the Lakers to play for the minimal with the Suns.
“LeBron is off this concept of getting to play with Bronny,” Paul instructed ESPN. “If he does, he does. But when he does not, he does not. There is no deal made that it is assured that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that was the case, I’d drive them to take him at 17. We do not want leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron does not re-sign. LeBron can also be not going to Phoenix for a minimal deal. We will squash that now.”
The Suns solely choose is No. 22 of the primary spherical and that might be early to take Bronny, particularly for a veteran-heavy, win-now workforce that ought to be on the lookout for an older participant who has already developed and might are available in and contribute subsequent season. The Lakers will not be going to take Bronny at No. 17 (a choose they’re actively attempting to commerce), nevertheless it seems like his ground is Los Angeles at No. 55. It is also not that tough to amass second spherical picks, if the Suns, Lakers or one other workforce needed to purchase or commerce for a choose within the 40s to make use of on Bronny, the worth wouldn’t be that steep.
There might be loads of Bronny discuss on the primary night time of the NBA Draft, nevertheless it’s unlikely he’ll hear his title known as within the first spherical. The second night time, the draft’s second spherical, might be extra fascinating than traditional this season due to the Bronny drama.