“If You Take Him, He’s Going To Australia” – Agent Rich Paul Made Power Play To Force Bronny James To Lakers

Bronny James probably wouldn't have gotten playing time at UConn last season when they won the national championship, or this coming season in their quest for a three-peat. Good thing Dan Hurley didn't go to the Lakers . He probably would have gotten into it with the front office right away, refusing to stand for the organization drafting LeBron James' son "just because." Chill out. I'm saying all of that in jest of course. Because that's what the haters will proclaim. It's not like JJ Redick is some pushover or bargain-bin consolation prize of a head coach. I think he's going to do great, and despite the nepotism argument many will cite, Bronny is more NBA-ready than his college stats would suggest. All that said in favor of Bronny, it's a tad disappointing to hear that sports agent Rich Paul — who'd also be nowhere (comparatively speaking) without LeBron — pulled a power play to ensure 28 of the NBA's 30 teams wouldn't draft the junior James: https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1806433501299773945 ...And it worked! https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1806448842285445509 Sadly, this fun scenario where the Boston Celtics take Bronny with the 54th pick, just ahead of the Lakers, didn't come to pass, as the reigning NBA champions drafted Gonzaga forward Anton Watson instead. https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1806358708374368472 What would the benefit be for Bronny to go to Australia, as opposed to any NBA franchise's G League squad? It's ridiculous, in my opinion. Had Bronny been drafted anywhere other than the Lakers or Suns, he could've just signed a cheap, two-way contract and eventually gone to Los Angeles or Phoenix anyway. I will say, despite Rich Paul's sort of off-putting tactics, it's pretty awesome that LeBron and Bronny are going to be on the same team. I would say there's no chance he cracks the Lakers' rotation as a rookie, but then again, we have to remember that Bronny went into cardiac arrest literally less than a year ago today (July 24, 2023). He had a literal brush with death as a teenage, and before that, he was balling out as a McDonald's All-American. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m835CZ8wVGc It sure wasn't pretty at USC, yet there's nowhere for Bronny to go but up from here. He's an excellent perimeter defender, has plus athleticism, and if he can regain confidence in a jump shot that was improving before his scary heart issue, he has the makings of a solid second-unit spark type of player in the NBA.