Rich Paul makes the ultimate Bronny James pitch to teams after clarifying stance on potential undrafted status
On Wednesday morning, Rich Paul alerted the media that Bronny James will be keeping his name in the 2024 NBA Draft. The longtime agent also put together an impressive pitch for his client with a few weeks to go for the draft.
When Bronny originally declared for the draft, it was unclear if he would stick around. He entered the transfer portal at the same time, giving himself options in the event he wanted to go back to college for a second season. However, based on this recent news, the young guard seems ready to make the jump to the pros.
While talking to ESPN about Bronny James, Paul made it clear that he is open to any avenues that could happen on draft night. He admitted his client still has ways to go and isn't afraid of going the undrafted route to try and find the right situation.
"I'm not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny," Paul said. "He's far from a finished product. But he has a hell of start. He's positioned well. ... I don't see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn't make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that's fine."
Following an impressive run at the NBA Draft combine, Bronny has seen his stock rise in a big way. Once seen as likely going undrafted, now many believe the son of LeBron James will likely hear his name called on one of the draft nights.
Rich Paul speaks on idea of Bronny James joining the LA Lakers
Since Bronny James first declared for the NBA Draft, the LA Lakers have been one of the main teams connected to him. This is in large part due to his father and his comments about wanting to play with his son in recent years.
During his interview with ESPN, Rich Paul touched on the idea of Bronny going to the Lakers. He is okay with the guard prospect going there as long as the whole thing happens naturally.
"If they value him enough and he's there, that's great. If it's not the Lakers, that's great," Paul continued. "I won't be mad if it's not. It's obvious that people hear the conversation around the dad and son playing together, but that's not our focus. If it happens organically, great. I'm not building on that."
Reports have stated that the Lakers plan to bring in Bronny James for a workout during the pre-draft process. The Phoenix Suns are another team that has been tied to him as of late. They have two picks in this year's draft, selecting at No. 22 and No. 59.
Though slightly undersized, Bronny is a phenomenal athlete with a long wingspan. During his lone college season, he posted averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.