LeBron’s camp has at least five insurance policies in place for Bronny to enter NBA this year; Timberwolves, Raptors, Mavericks all interested



The 2024 NBA Draft is set to take place on June 26-27 in New York, and the question remains: which team will draft LeBron James’ son, Bronny?

According to renowned sports journalist Jonathan Givony, Bronny has only attended individual workouts with two teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers hold the 17th and 55th picks, while the Suns have the 22nd pick.

Other teams, roughly seven or eight in total, have faced difficulties securing workout sessions with Bronny. Teams that were turned down told Givony they were interested in seeing how he performs in different environments and training settings, apart from what they observed during his time at the University of Southern California, but their requests were declined.

Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, defended these restrictions, dismissing suggestions that Bronny has received preferential treatment throughout the draft process.

“This isn’t anything new,” Paul said. “Our goal is to find a team that values players and works towards that objective. It’s crucial to understand the context. We design things, especially for players like Bronny who are still developing.”

Paul highlighted his track record in guiding his clients to more favorable destinations, such as Talen Horton-Tucker (46th pick in 2019), Brandon Boston Jr. (51st pick in 2021), and Chris Livingston (58th pick in 2023), all of whom secured guaranteed contracts despite limited workouts and being selected later in the draft.

Paul mentioned using similar tactics for Jalen Green (24th pick in 2022) and Darius Garland (5th pick in 2019), not allowing them to participate in team workouts and withholding medical information, practices now prohibited under the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“Bronny is no different from my previous clients,” Paul stated. “I’ve made it clear to teams early on that if they’re considering drafting Bronny, they need to know that without a real contract, there’s no discussion. Two-way contracts don’t provide the necessary development opportunities.”

“I don’t care if he goes to the Lakers or the Suns, or where he’s picked. What matters is the right fit contractually. We’re looking for teams genuinely interested in him.”

In May, Bronny expressed that his focus was on “entering the league,” not necessarily playing alongside his father.

“LeBron has moved past the idea that he must play with Bronny,” Paul told reporters. “There are no agreements in place that if the Lakers take Bronny at 55, he’ll re-sign. If that were the case, I’d push for them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny without it impacting LeBron’s decision to re-sign. LeBron won’t sign for the minimum just to go to Phoenix.”

“There are other teams that like Bronny. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and Toronto Raptors are among them. The Timberwolves are very keen. If the Lakers don’t take him at 55, the Mavericks will select him at 58 with a guaranteed deal. The Raptors are high on him too; they could even grab him at 31. For these teams, workouts aren’t a deal-breaker.”

With one week remaining until the draft, Paul indicated that, barring any surprises, Bronny’s individual workout schedule is likely complete.