LeBron's Agent Squashes Suns Rumors

The Phoenix Suns will not be getting LeBron James on a vet-minimum deal this summer.

Apr 27, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) celebrate after a basket during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns will not be getting LeBron James this summer - at least on a veteran minimum contract.

This is per his agent Rich Paul, who did an interview with ESPN's Jonathan Givony and offered the following on his client and son Bronny James, who is entering the 2024 NBA Draft with hefty speculation the two could team up.

"LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny," Paul told ESPN on Wednesday.

"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 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.

"There are other teams that love Bronny. For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it's not the Lakers, it will be someone else. Minnesota would love to get Bronny in, but I don't know who their owner is going to be. [Mavs GM] Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers don't take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and give him a guaranteed deal. Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president,] loves him. They could take him without even seeing him at 31. Workouts aren't everything for these teams."

The Suns will have worked out Bronny twice ahead of the draft, which begins on June 26. Phoenix is in the second apron of the luxury tax and can only sign outside free agents on minimum deals, which would be their only hope of acquiring the eldest James.

LeBron himself has a player-option with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer.