Rich Paul Breaks LeBron’s Heart on Bronny James’ Dream as Suns News Shakes Up $164 Million Decision

Whatever LeBron James has desired, he’s got it straight or he’s made sure to put in the work to get it. However, he might just fall short of his greatest wish of playing alongside his son, Bronny James. The 4x champion has mentioned his dream on several occasions. In fact, in 2023, Bron left nothing to the imagination when he stated, “I need to be on the floor with my boy. I gotta be on the floor with Bronny, either on the same uniform or a matchup.”

Now that he’s working out in the NBA Draft Combine, the eyes of the world have once again zeroed in on him. Surprisingly, his performance at the combine (averaging five points in 25 college games) has got many to take a step back, and re-evaluate if they might have been a little too fast to judge.

“LeBron’s season’s over”: Rich Paul hits his close friend with some harsh truths

In an exclusive interview with the Bleacher Report, Paul knocks some sense into the whole Bronny drama. Or at least, that seems to be the goal. As such, the 42-year-old clears the air surrounding LeBron James and his dream. “I have a job to do representing Bronny and LeBron. LeBron’s season’s over. I’m focused on Bronny and the rest of our draft class. If it aligns where he can play with his dad, great. Am I necessarily focused on that? No, not at all. 

Remember, the ‘L Train’ explicitly said that his wish of playing with his son didn’t necessarily mean alongside him. The Lakers superstar would be happy with a matchup, as well. So, as Paul pointed out, if the father-son duo gets a chance to be on the same team, that’s well and good. But that isn’t going to be the standard with which he, as an agent, will approach deals.

“I’m focused on a team-plan investment and a seriousness as it pertains to fit and opportunity,” Paul further detailed. “The teams I’ve talked to know exactly where I stand. I’m not going to bulls–t around in this process. We’re going to execute our plan,” he stated.

It’s become clear that there won’t be any tampering from the agency’s side. Despite it all, Bronny James is still projected to be a second-round pick. It was under such circumstances that the Phoenix Suns made the headlines.

LeBron James to the Suns?

In a tweet by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the young guard had received as many as 10 invites from teams for workouts. Nevertheless, it seems like he’s planning on accepting just a few. And one among them was the Suns who own the No. 22 overall pick this year, with the Lakers also on the list.

With James’ great wish for a father-son duo still on the horizon, many speculate if he would move to the ‘Valley of the Sun’. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, believes it to be a reasonable scenario.

“On the Bronny/LeBron James front, Bron sacrificing millions to join the Suns on a vet minimum isn’t as outlandish as it seems. LeBron is a billionaire, and as much as it isn’t the SOLE factor in where he plays next, playing with his son would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he wrote in a post on X. 

This comes in the wake of the ‘Akron Hammer’ being reportedly eligible for a three-year $164 million extension. His contract with the Lakers effectively ended this season. However, the 20x All-Star does have a $51.4 million contract option. Whether James will exercise that option or not is still undecided. According to Windhorst, “getting LeBron for some discount, that’s historically been no go.” 

While that might be the case, the 39-year-old is a fond father of three, and as Bourguet pointed out, the one factor that could persuade him to sacrifice millions would be his son and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Meanwhile, Paul had also said that LeBron had no plans to influence any decisions. So where does that leave Bron? We’ll just have to wait for his official declaration for that, won’t we?

Until then, another matter foremost in our mind is about our beloved Inside the NBA crew. While many are sure they are going to be disbanded, Shaq’s confidante and ex-agent, Leonard Armato, thinks otherwise. To know more about his comments, watch this video.