Paul Sends Bold Message on Rumor of LeBron James Ditching Lakers for West Rival

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James may opt out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and enter free agency, but he’s not giving any of L.A.’s rivals a discount.

Rich Paul — the agent for both LeBron James and his son Bronny James, the latter of whom is a member of the rapidly upcoming NBA draft on June 26-27 — spoke with Jonathan Givony of ESPN for a piece published on Wednesday, June 19. Among several comments of note that Paul made was one regarding a rumor that James is open to taking a minimum contract from the Phoenix Suns just to play professionally with his son.

“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny. If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t,” Paul said. “There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at [pick No.] 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn’t re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”

LeBron James, Bronny James Approaching NBA Free Agency, Draft Strategically

Givony went on to report that Bronny James has agreed to individual workouts with only the Lakers and the Suns at this point in the pre-draft process. Givony cited a half-dozen teams on Wednesday who said they can’t get Bronny James to come in for a workout.

The decisions on the part of Paul and the James family have been the driving forces behind rumors that LeBron James is using his free agency to hold the Lakers hostage and force the drafting of his son, or that a cash-strapped Suns team already paying huge money to its top three stars might land the elder James on the cheap should they spend a draft pick on the junior James.

On June 18, the day prior to Givony’s most recent report, he spoke with members of ESPN’s basketball program “NBA Today” and gave insight into the likely thought process behind all of the maneuvering.

“The Phoenix Suns have a second workout scheduled with Bronny later this week, but other than that, we have not seen any NBA team be able to work him out,” Givony explained. “The sense among teams is that his agent, Rich Paul, does not want him on a two-way contract, and the range he’s going to be picked — the 40-58 range — that’s where two-way contracts are handed out. So it’s looking right now like Bronny is going to slide to No. 55 [to the Lakers].”

LeBron James Likely Opts Out of Deal With Lakers Regardless

Another wrinkle to the James family saga in L.A. is that even if Bronny James had zero interest in and/or chance at entering the NBA, LeBron James would still have reason to opt out of his contract.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has predicted for months that James will do so, as waiving the final season on his two-year, $99 million deal opens up several advantages to him upon re-signing with the Lakers. Those advantages include a potential max deal of three years and $162 million, as well as a no-trade clause.

“I think LeBron’s gonna opt out no matter what,” Windhorst said on the April 8 edition of “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. “And the reason I think he’s gonna opt out no matter what is even if he just signs back for one year, the only functional way for LeBron to get a no-trade clause is to sign a new contract. If he extends the contract he’s in or picks up that option [and] extends onto it, he can’t get a no-trade clause. And I think — for a number of different reasons — LeBron would like, ask for and probably be granted a no-trade clause.”

James will turn 40 years old in December and could cost well north of $50 million per season. A no-trade clause guarantees that he gets to decide if and when the Lakers ever move him out of Los Angeles, where James has spent the last six years of his professional life and where he has multiple business interests outside of basketball. If anything, all of that is indicative of a desire on James’ part to remain L.A., though free agency is a stage for subterfuge in the NBA and only time will tell.

Tags: Phoenix Suns