LeBron James ‘off’ the idea of playing with son Bronny: Rich Paul

With his free agency potentially looming, LeBron James is no longer married to the idea of playing with his son Bronny, his agent said on Wednesday.

In February 2022, James said he “would do whatever it takes” to play with his eldest son, who entered the 2024 NBA Draft after one season at USC, but things have changed since, according to Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul.

“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.”

The Lakers enter the two-day draft with the No. 17 pick in the first round — generally thought to be a reach for Bronny — and No. 55 in the second.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons mentioned on his podcast earlier this week that there had been “a lot of Phoenix buzz” surrounding the elder James, who can opt out of his Lakers deal before June 30 to enter free agency. However, Paul also clarified the position from their side.

“LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal,” the agent said. “We can squash that now.”