It a done deal: LeBron James announces he will be joining the Phoenix Suns on……
Bronny James reportedly intends to visit only a few NBA teams before next month’s draft, specifically his father LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
“The Suns have the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, and he’s being considered among several players for that spot,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on the Run It Back FanDuel TV show.
“It’s going to come down to the developmental plan,” Charania continued, noting that the 19-year-old guard might be picked in the late first or early second round. “It’s going to come down to guaranteed money, whether it’s in the late first round or the second round… Bronny James will visit only a couple of teams – two or three – with the Lakers and Suns among them.”
Charania’s references to a ‘developmental plan’ and ‘guaranteed money’ are ambiguous. First-round picks follow a set salary scale for their first four years, while second-round picks have more negotiation flexibility but typically less leverage.
Interestingly, Charania reports that Bronny received 10 invitations for pre-draft workouts but will only visit two or three teams, including the Suns and Lakers. Team spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for confirmation about Bronny’s pre-draft visits.
Bronny’s single college basketball season was disappointing after the McDonald’s All-American suffered cardiac arrest during practice in July 2023. He was cleared to play but averaged only 19.4 minutes over 25 games for the Trojans, scoring just 4.8 points per game.
Drafting Bronny could also mean acquiring LeBron, who can opt out of the final year and $51 million of his Lakers contract to become a free agent. LeBron has expressed a desire to play alongside his son, similar to Gordie Howe with the Hartford Whalers and Ken Griffey Sr. with the Seattle Mariners.
“LeBron said he wanted to play with his son,” Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, the agent for both LeBron and Bronny, told Bleacher Report last week. “Bronny can’t control that. We shouldn’t push back on it. If LeBron wants to play with his son, that’s that. But my job is to represent both Bronny and LeBron.
“LeBron’s season is over. I’m focused on Bronny and the rest of our draft class. If playing with his dad aligns, great. Am I necessarily focused on that? No, not at all. I’m focused on a team plan, investment, and fit and opportunity seriousness.”
