Several Teams Considered Drafting Bronny James Before Deciding Media Attention, Going Against LeBron's Wishes Wasn't Worth It

06/28/2024 12:39 PM

There were a few teams that considered drafting Bronny James in the second round ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, but they ultimately decided that going against the wishes of LeBron James and Rich Paul, plus the media attention that would have come with the selection wasn't worth whatever value they saw in Bronny as a prospect.

"It was just about will a team actually have the gall to go and draft him?" said Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show about how teams expected Bronny James to be drafted at No. 55. "I was told at least a couple of teams, including the Suns, who did bring him in for a workout, they were the only other team besides the Lakers to work him out. They were a team who did consider it. But I think at the end of the day, Rich Paul, being respectful to LeBron James to an extent, and also understanding the amount of media attention if you draft Bronny James without having the blessing. Without having that relationship.

"If you're the Suns, that opens a pandora's box. Then you start talking 'Does Kevin Durant get traded for LeBron' What does this mean?' Because you know LeBron James at the end of the day wants to play with Bronny. The Suns avoided it. A couple other teams looked at it and avoided it. He ends up with the Lakers. Rich Paul, certainly throughout the second round told teams do not draft Bronny James."

Paul also did something similar with Chris Livingston at last year's draft to direct him to the Milwaukee Bucks.