If Bronny James does make it to the NBA, Rich Paul has made it clear that a two-way deal will not happen.
After competing in the NBA Draft Combine and Klutch Sports Pro Day at the Lakers practice facility, Bronny James is currently in the midst of the draft process.
Now, Rich Paul, Bronny’s agent, has spoken with Chris Haynes of the Bleacher Report about one of the contracts he will not be signing this summer. Rich Paul is also the agent for Lakers players LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
BR: Are you saying that you would not agree to a two-way contract with Bronny?
RP: That is, in fact, entirely true. Teams are aware of this. That’s not what I’m doing.
Paul claims that Bronny’s desire to be limited to the NBA roster sends a clear message to all teams. It doesn’t seem like Klutch wants Bronny to take the two-way player route, where they split their time between the NBA and the G-league, which is what many second round selection picks do.
Making this claim probably means that some teams won’t be selecting Bronny in the draft. Bronny will not sign a two-way contract, so if they do want to select him, they will either need to offer him a position on the roster or let him go.
The Lakers and other organizations are anticipated to cooperate with Bronny before to the 2024 NBA Draft, even if he might scare some people away. Despite the fact that a two-way contract is off the table, someone will probably draft him in June due to the high level of interest in his potential.
Lakers supporters have stated that they want the team to select Bronny, and because this year’s draft class is regarded as one of the weakest in recent memory, it might not be a bad idea to take a chance on the son of your biggest player.
It’s still very unclear if they will select him or even have the picks they do now.
As part of the Davis trade, the New Orleans Pelicans can still select the Lakers’ No. 17 pick, but rumors suggest they’ll probably give it to them and select the Lakers’ 2025 first-round pick instead.
Maybe the focus in late June will be more on that than any draft possibilities, since Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has also expressed a desire to maybe take a “big swing” this summer with their three first round lottery picks.
While we’ll keep an eye on the situation as it unfolds, two things are certain: Rich Paul is opposed to Bronny signing a two-way contract and the Lakers are actively seeking for draft prospects to complement their current squad.
