Would Mavs Draft Bronny to Lure LeBron? Mark Cuban Gives His Answer

LeBron James has made it known that he intends to play his final season with his son, Bronny. Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on that possibility for the Dallas Mavericks.

A lot of attention was placed on LeBron James after his comments about his future during NBA All-Star Weekend. Between stating the "door's not closed" on a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and wanting to finish his career playing with his son Bronny, there's a lot to unpack.

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Among James' comments was his reaffirmed desire to finish his NBA career playing alongside his son and being willing to do whatever he has to do to make that happen. 

“My last year will be played with my son,” James told James Lloyd of The Athletic. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

James' comments after the Lakers' 105-102 loss to the LA Clippers further supported that notion, and he added some context that, just because he wants to play with Bronny, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be as a member of the Lakers.

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“I also have a goal that, if it’s possible — I don’t even know if it’s possible — that if I can play with my son, I would love to do that,” James said. “Is that, like, something that any man shouldn’t want that in life? That’s like the coolest thing that could possibly happen. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with this franchise.”

There's become a growing theory that a team could use a draft pick to select Bronny with the idea of attracting LeBron as a free agent — acquiring them as a package deal. Would the Dallas Mavericks consider this?

During an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban expressed that James' comments about wanting to play with Bronny were "super smart by LeBron." 

In a separate interview with Sportsgrid, Cuban stated he would "probably not" burn a second-round pick, and that the situation depends on how good of a prospect Bronny becomes.

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“I don’t know,” said Cuban. “It depends on the circumstances and how good Bronny is. Would I just burn (a second-round pick) just to burn it? Probably not.

“And again, we’ll have this guy named Luka (Doncic) who is really, really good. And so it would really depend on the team that we have around him.”

The earliest Bronny will be eligible to enter the NBA Draft will be in 2024, and the Mavericks do have their selection in both rounds barring any new trade between now and then. 

With how significantly the Lakers have underachieved this season, it remains to be seen how patient James will be with staying with the team. He does have options if he were to choose to depart, and he may need to do so to have a real chance at winning his fifth NBA title.