Rich Paul States There's No Package Deal for LeBron James, Bronny Ahead of NBA Draft

Madison Williams | Jun 19, 2024

May 14, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Bronny James talks to the media during the 2024 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

There has been plenty of speculation in NBA circles that LeBron James and his son Bronny James could potentially play together this upcoming season depending where the 19-year-old prospect is drafted.

However, the James's agent Rich Paul shut down any ideas regarding the father-son duo being a "package deal" this offseason. The elder James, who could decline his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season and become a free agent, isn't letting his son's draft experience determine where he ends up next season.

"LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny," Paul said, via ESPN. "If he does, he does. But if he doesn't, he doesn't. There's no deal made that it's guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at No. 55, [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."

Additionally, Paul said that the the young James isn't pushing to go to a specific team like the Los Angeles Lakers, but instead would rather end up where he best fits. Right now, the former USC guard has only accepted workouts from the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. Paul noted that other teams have shown interest in James, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors.