Championship Contender Considering Drafting Bronny to Lure LeBron: Report

Getty Bronny James is still being linked to his father LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

If you’ve got a chance to bring one of the greatest players of all time to your franchise, and all you have to do is take a flier on a second-round pick, it’s well worth the risk. The Dallas Mavericks are considering doing just that, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, potentially drafting Bronny James in order to lure LeBron James to the Lone Star State.

Smith revealed the information on the May 13 episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” speculating that the Mavericks would “be more popular than the Cowboys” if they found a way to combine Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and LeBron. Smith said money wouldn’t be an issue and that James’ desire to play with his son would be more alluring than anything another franchise could offer.

Bronny’s Draft Stock

The elephant in the room here is that Bronny’s draft stock continues to tumble. After Bronny’s unremarkable freshman season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, some were still touting him as someone who could be better than what he’s shown in college, where they say he played out of position.

Still, as of May 13, public sentiment isn’t with Bronny. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman left Bronny completely off his latest mock draft. FoxSports.com reported that DraftKings Sportsbook is offering bets on Bronny’s draft position, with the current line set at 39.5, with the over being a large favorite (-270).

Bronny’s NBA Combine performance was a mixed bag, as he did put together a wonderful shooting performance, going 19-for-25 in a 3-point drill, but he also measured a half-inch short of 6-foot-2. Height isn’t everything, as wingspan needs to be considered. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie pointed to Bruce Brown, Collin Sexton, Terry Rozier and Avery Bradley as players with similar standing reach (8-foot-2 1/2).

Mavericks + LeBron = Championship

Without LeBron, the Mavericks are a relatively long-shot NBA Championship contender. They are locked in a 2-2 series tie against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, relying on the superstar tandem of Irving and Doncic to carry them.

If there’s a knock on the Mavericks, it might be that they play a bit of a “my turn, your turn” offense, with Doncic taking over for stretches and then Irving doing the same. There have been murmurs for years that players don’t want to play with Doncic because of his ball-dominant style. Adding LeBron — one of the most unselfish on-court superstars in NBA history — to that mix could provide a better balance, ideally lessening the load for everyone.

Could Other Teams Swoop In?

Although the Mavericks are one team in the rumors, pundits have also floated other ideas. Nick Wright of Fox Sports said on The Herd, “I, as a basketball fan, would love to see him have one final arc somewhere else. I think LeBron James bringing the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals for a first time in a quarter-century would be pretty great. I think he would fit in that Julius Randle spot quite well. I also think four rings for four franchises would be unbelievable.”

Despite rumors to the contrary, the most likely scenario still has Bronny getting signed by the Lakers, with LeBron re-signing. FanDuel Sportsbook is pointing to the Los Angeles Lakers as the favorite to land Bronny (+155), with the Knicks at +1400 and the Mavericks at +2400.