The Dallas Mavericks could draft Bronny James to recruit LeBron James and form a big three with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith mentioned this scenario on his show.
Smith said an anonymous league source told him that the Mavericks could position themselves to draft LeBron’s son, Bronny James, before the Los Angeles Lakers could get the chance to take him with their second-round pick.
Smith stressed that he’s simply guessing based on the general belief that drafting the younger James could entice his father to leave the Lakers and join the team that picked his son.
“Here’s a newsflash of what I have also heard,” Smith said on “the Stephen A. Smith show” on May 15. “Bronny James may not make it to the Lakers with the second-round pick, because if a team like the Dallas Mavericks could position themselves to get him in the second round, they’d take him.”
The analyst believed that if the Mavericks somehow land Bronny James in the draft, there might be a good chance the team could form a superstar trio with LeBron, Irving, and Doncic.
“And if you are the Dallas Mavericks and you have Kyrie and Luka, and LeBron James is willing to come to Big D, Dallas, Texas, That might be the first time something’s more popular than the [Dallas] Cowboys,” Smith added.
LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul Said His Client is A Free Agent
Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports Group, might have revealed his client’s plan to test the free agency market this July after he said that “LeBron is a free agent” during TNT’s alternate broadcast of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
However, when asked by NBA reporter Chris Haynes to confirm if the four-time MVP will indeed opt out of his contract with the Lakers, Paul did not provide a clear answer to the question, adding that “LeBron’s situation is still up in the air.”
“Chris, you know I don’t do my business over the air, man,” Paul stated during TNT’s West Finals coverage. “I don’t know what he’s going to do. We’re going to do what we do every year. We’re going to evaluate the situation, and we’re going to make the best decision.”
.@RichPaul4 is a fan of the the Timberwolves’ evolution as a franchise 🙌
Catch Rich on the Game 2 WCF Altcast NOW on TruTV with @mrvincecarter15, @bomani_jones, @AdamLefkoe, @ChrisBHaynes & @JCrossover 🔥
Even though many believed Paul unintentionally put LeBron’s free agency plans in the open, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said he expects James to forego his $51.4 million player option.
“It’s really not something that the league isn’t expecting, or anything, but we have been saying for months here that LeBron is expected to opt out.” Windhorst stated this on ESPN GetUP on May 27. For all intents and purposes, he’s a free agent, and he has the opportunity to become one. I would not overreact to that at all.
Kyrie Irving Recruited LeBron James to Join Mavericks Last Year
Shams Charania of the Athletic reported in June 2023 that Kyrie Irving recruited LeBron to join the Mavs in last year’s free agency.
“Kyrie Irving has reached out to Lakers star LeBron James in attempts to see if James would come to Dallas,” Charania posted on X last June 5, 2023.
James eventually signed a two-year, $99 million contract with the Lakers last summer, but the player option in the second year provides him the flexibility to renegotiate or leave for another team.
On the other hand, Irving resigned with the Mavs on a three-year, $120 million deal, per Spotrac.
Together with Doncic, the veteran point guard has helped the Mavericks take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference finals series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas will make another attempt to book their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011 and the third in franchise history in Game 5 on May 30 at Target Center.
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Drafting Bronny James Key to LeBron Joining Mavs: Stephen A. Smith