As the 2024 NBA draft approaches, all the talk seems to be about Bronny James, the oldest son of NBA legend LeBron James.
Bronny entered the draft after just one season at USC where he didn’t even average five points, nor did he start. Not all was James fault, as he suffered a cardiac arrest scare last summer which caused him to be sidelined from August until December.
Many believe James needs more time in college, but he’s gonna try his hand at the pros and see what happens. While nowhere near a finished product, James does possess good athleticism and shot-making as he displayed during the NBA combine earlier this month. With the likelihood he won’t get drafted a real possibility, his agent Rich Paul is speaking out what he wants for the son of his most famous client.
Paul Doesn’t Want James On Two-Way Deal
Speaking with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Paul, who’s become one of most respected agents in the business let it be known what he’s seeking for Bronny.
Paul told Haynes that he’s not into the former Sierra Canyon star signing a non-guaranteed two-way deal which is what most executives are predicting is the best starting point for Bronny.
When asked about that Paul was blunt:
“Yes, that’s absolutely true. Teams know that. I’m not doing that.”
Paul followed that up with, “Is he a finished product? No, nowhere near. Most guys that come in our league aren’t at 18 and 19.”
While this is true, Bronny seems to have a much steeper learning curve than most of those 18- and 19-year-olds Paul is speaking of. Which is why most executives don’t see him being drafted by a team, and if so very late in the second round.
Paul Downplays Nepotism With Bronny
It’s no secret that if Bronny’s last name wasn’t James he wouldn’t even be mentioned in the draft. But that’s an advantageous thing he does possess, and it’s not his fault. Hearing Paul own up to that fact was good to hear, and he even mentioned that’s how America was built and operates to this day.
“If his name was different, would he get different treatment?” Paul asked. “Yes, probably so. Some may feel like he’s getting an opportunity because of his father, and I think that’s very a naive logic, especially in America. When you look at America as a whole, it’s built on nepotism. No one’s having this conversation about James Dolan. He owns the Knicks, but his dad built a business.”
Strong words from Paul, whose job is to protect and get his client to the best situation he can. But hearing him say they won’t sign a two-way deal, which would be very beneficial for James’ development, proves Klutch Sports believes they have the power to control the narrative.
And just maybe they do. We’ll find out in late June.
