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The 2024 NBA Draft will see LeBron James' son Bronny compete with hundreds of other prospects to secure a selection as one of the 58 picks in the Draft. Everyone expects the Lakers to get Bronny and have him playing alongside his father, Stephen A. Smith is watching out for the Dallas Mavericks positioning themselves to draft Bronny and recruit LeBron to join them in free agency.
"Bronny James might not make it to the Lakers' second-round pick because a team like the Dallas Mavericks could position themselves to take him in the second round. They'll take him because LeBron said he wants to go where his son goes. If you're the Mavericks and you've got Kyrie, Luka, and LeBron James is willing to come to Big D? That might be the first time something is more popular than the Cowboys!"
Smith says that James would likely care more about the opportunity of playing alongside his son in Dallas than the money the Lakers could offer him while explaining how LeBron is inching closer to his dream of owning an NBA team.
"If LeBron James was to join Kyrie and Luka because he's been on the record saying he wants to play with his son. His being a billionaire means money is not an issue, especially when his team are talking to folks in Saudi Arabia to partner up with so he can own an NBA team down the line. Money is not an issue for him, but playing with his son is something he said was."
(Starts at 3:38)
The James camp has gone out of their way to dissuade fans from believing in the rumors of LeBron blindly following Bronny to whichever team drafts him. Whether there is truth to that notion is something we'll see play out over the summer. But the Mavericks making a move like this would be quite significant.
LeBron has wanted Kyrie Irving to be his teammate since 2019 while referring to Luka Doncic as his favorite player in the NBA over recent seasons. Mavs' head coach Jason Kidd has been a former assistant coach with LeBron as well as an Olympic teammate.
GM Nico Harrison worked closely with LeBron as a Nike executive, so the Mavs would be an enticing option for James. If there's any non-Lakers team that could draft Bronny and interest LeBron in joining, it's probably the Mavericks.
Bronny Doesn't Dream Of Playing Alongside LeBron
The assumption that LeBron would jump teams to play alongside Bronny might be premature, especially with Bronny's recent statements at the Combine. The 19-year-old guard made it clear that he has never dreamed of being in the NBA as his father's teammate, but just making it to the league.
“No, never. My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself, and get to the NBA, which is everyone’s end goal that’s here. I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course, he’s brought it up a couple of times. But yeah, I don’t think about it much.”
This tracks with recent messaging from reporters on the Bronny draft situation, with the Lakers prioritizing drafting the USC guard and James expected to live with the decision of whichever team gives his son an opportunity in the NBA. If it was the Mavericks, LeBron would at least take a free-agent meeting with them to see what's possible.
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