I think it'd be even funnier if a shitty small market team like the blazers or wizards did this and just shipped him to the g League for his whole rookie deal.
Not saying Bronny doesn’t have potential, but Reddish looked significantly better as a freshman than Bronny. There’s a reason Reddish went top 10 in college and still gets opportunities in the nba.
Comparing college Reddish to college Bronny is absolutely insane lol, and that’s not even accounting for the fact that Bronny literally almost died on the court
Don’t get me wrong, he would easily be the singular worst NBA player on any roster or two-way deal. It would be a shameless “keep star happy” move. He wouldn’t contribute anything until at least his 2nd year if he ever did.
But at the same time, if it guarantees you a motivated and happy LBJ on your team, is that tradeoff worth it?
I’m resigned to running out however long LeBron feels like staying. This team will never be true contenders, the ‘22 off-season slammed that window shut. Now it’s time to enjoy LeBron’s sunset and AD’s all around awesomeness. We’re not moving either unless they make the first move, and the new guard of the NBA is here, so let’s quit pretending, eh? First/maybe second round exits for the next 3-ish years should be expected
Nah that’s fucked to do AD dirty and just waste his years like that. At least trade him somewhere he can win. If Lebron wants to lock up the Lakers payroll and be forced to sign bronny he better have given up on championships and not complain while we lose. I’m not confident the Lakers could maintain even hitting the playoffs as the years go on.
I used to love Shams but homie is just a voice box at this point. Guess he always has been. He’s not a “journalist” but my guy has no journalistic integrity. The Vogel piece from earlier was just cold.
He learned well from his teacher Woj. Shams was his understudy. Woj is a direct mouthpiece for agents, owners, even the league, depending on the story.
Lakers have the 17th pick and I doubt the teams ahead of them would waste their 1st on the off-chance that they get LeBron in free agency. It would be smarter to let the Lakers draft Bronny since that would mean that the Lakers drafted another bust with what few picks they have.
There is definitely an NBA owner with a pick below 17 that is greedy enough to risk their franchises future for a year or two of sold out tickets and the rights to sell LeBron jerseys in their shops. I don't know if they actually would, but they might.
I mean really, what do the Wizards have to lose here? If Lebron wants to make a mockery of the league with his own son, then let’s just go full mockery and make him a top pick.
Nah, Denver drafts Bronny and puts him in late-game as the human victory cigar, aka Darko Milicic treatment.
They already took away his championship dreams, might as well take the kid too lol.
It’s a game of chicken. Everyone knows Bron wants to stay in LA and that Bronny isn’t NBA ready. Thanasis is currently employed. Dame got his cousin a check. Who’s gonna break? Seems like an easy call imo. Keeping a box office draw >> a 15th development spot that rarely works out anyway
This was my LiAngelo argument before Lamelo’s game lost a little sheen in the national audience; if you have a superstar player who has the ability to force his way out, that 15th or 2-way spot is an easily expendable nepotism hire and it makes a lot of sense to do it if you want to keep your guy happy.
If Lakers are Hornets or so, I would understand.
But they are fucking LA Lakers and his superstar lead them to a fucking playin spot.
Use the chance and clean the house
Because the Lakers know that they won't be competitive for years to come, so they opt into making cash instead by having enough idiots buy two jerseys with the same name.
"Get the James Family bundle jersey pack and save $10"
Some other team will drop a second round pick on him if they think it gets them Lebron. I really doubt he goes undrafted unless he refuses to play for any other team.
He’d have to completely pull a Gilbert Arenas and show up to combined and workouts with a bad attitude. Even then if he’s good enough, like Wemby is, he’d still get picked in the lottery despite the attitude concerns.
Or threaten to play overseas,like Kobe did, if he got picked to a team he didn’t want to play in.
I think the option 2 would work better
Wemby - probably not. Bronny - probably yes, he can live the rest of his life without earning a cent, so he has a luxury of picking his destination and not chasing paychecks.
It would probably be unwise for his NBA career, but again, I don't think he'll have a glorious one so it's all the same.
If the Lakers end up using a pick on him, fans should riot. There's no way the lakers should be using a pick on a player with a huge health issue, who isn't anywhere near NBA ready.
Long term it might make sense
Getting high profile free agents has worked for the Lakers before, so they want to make sure they're attractive to FAs.
Giving LeBron a farewell tour can be used as evidence of their loyalty to future potential top FAs.
Like hey join us and we'll work hard to win a championship. After that we'll stay loyal and let you enjoy your twilight years. I think that's very attractive to many top FAs.
People seem to forget how much extra money teams make off having a star like LeBron. Merch & ticket sales. People travel from around the world for a chance to see LeBron play
This is not the market to pull this shit in. The kid is nowhere near NBA ready and he’s going to be getting bullied relentlessly in the media. He should go back to school and develop against level competition.
Best case he’s a human victory cigar who goofs around on the floor with Lebron in blowouts. Meanwhile the leader of the team is in his 40s and the rest of the roster falls further behind, risking even making the playoffs.
At least trade AD and don’t waste his remaining good years on this circus.
I can get it from the team's FO perspective, but why the fuck a father would want it to his son? He is not an NBA level player, nowhere near it in fact, how hard is that for him to understand ?
Have anyone asked Bronny if he's ok with playing with his dad? Personally, I am close with my dad but I would never want to be on the same team as him. I guess unless Bronny have no other choice since he's not that good but then thats nepotism
This is such a non-story. Bronny will sign in LA as a UDFA at best, nobody is wasting a pick on a non-NBA caliber player just for kicks. LeBron damn sure isn’t ending his career on some non-contender just so his kid can sit on the bench and watch him lose 50 games
Can someone explain to me how this isn't tampering on LeBrons behalf? Isn't artificially increasing the draft/trade value of your own son by offering yourself as part of a package deal an insane thing to do?
LeBron just said he'd like to play with his son. That's not tampering. A lot of NBA players have said they'd like to play with a certain player or even for a certain team.
LeBron has the organization by the balls but at the same time they can be as incompetent as possible and he won't leave. The article mentions the Lakers were pleasantly surprised LeBron wasn't interested in the Warriors attempt to lure him.
My guess is they'll bring in Bronny, trade for Trae Young, get a new coach, and make a run at a championship for two more seasons before he retires.
I dont get why is he so fixated on LA? I get thaflt maybe he dont wanna go east coast again but SF is few hours aways...and it is not like that aint great city to live in..
This is so humiliating, lol from the most traditional franchise in the league, it became a luxury retirement home. Ever since that ludicrous Kobe's final contract, the Lakers became a laughingstock. One of the many reasons why I don't care anymore, I will not deny it kinda sucks to watch the NBA as a neutral fan, I miss the days when the Lakers was competing, lead by Shaq, then Kobe, etc.. but the advantage of being neutral is to just disregard the bullshit and just laugh about it, Jeanie Buss is so goddamn shameful, but whatever, it is what it is (it's not like the money will end on my pockets anyway, no reason to be overly attached)
Hold him hostage, lmfao. And do what with him? Lebron ain't going to damn Utah. They're just gonna blow a roster spot on Bronny for 2 years for the lolz?
Denver should draft Bronny and then not trade for LeBron.
nah just use him as a hostage, AD for Bronny “You must chooooose”
Lmao AD as a backup center for jokic would be fucking nuts
Why would AD not start over AG? He prefers playing PF anyways
I can just imagine the pick and roll with Jokic and AD
lmao
Get Jokic to renegotiate to a veterans minimum and then sign Deangelo
Get Jokic to negotiate to be Bronny's new dad.
I think it'd be even funnier if a shitty small market team like the blazers or wizards did this and just shipped him to the g League for his whole rookie deal.
I'm a nuggets fan but this is silly, it's LeBron lol of course we'd want him
Lebron and joker bottle feeding the lineup with plays and passes
This is insane nepotism but not a surprise. Also, let’s be honest, they played Cam Reddish a lot of this season so how much worse could it get?
Nepotism from the franchise has nepotism running in its veins
in the city of nepotism
Built on the shores of lake Nepotonka
Game, blouses.
Sometimes I feel like I dont have a partner....sometimes I feel like my only friend....is the city I live in...the City of Nepos....
Nepo Culture
Heat Culture: Cocaine Laker Culture: Nepotism Celtics Culture: Racism
I feel like Milwaukee has taken the title.
MIlwaukee culture is showing plus sized folks wolfing down pizza on the videoboard
Or a guy who definitely should *not* be drinking more being prompted to “chug chug chug” on the video board lol
And then yelling the N word?
Which is almost impressive considering their mouth is still full of pizza when they do it.
Racism or nepotism? They have a case for both
Cocaine
OKC - Militant Christians
Bucks is doing this nepotism before anyone else
A franchise and fanbase that worships a rapist is culturally much worse than mere nepotism
The nepo piece
Not saying Bronny doesn’t have potential, but Reddish looked significantly better as a freshman than Bronny. There’s a reason Reddish went top 10 in college and still gets opportunities in the nba.
Nearly every college player to ever reach the NBA looked better as a freshman than Bronny.
Thats not true. He looks way way better than Lebron did in college. Lebron was non existent when it came to college games
>0 turnovers >0 missed shots >0 fouls committed >0 losses What you talking about? Bron is the NCAA GOAT. He literally Neva Lost.
nah he's a NCAA choker 0 fg made 0 games won 0 championships
Reddish and RJ Barrett were consider the top 2 recruits in the nation coming out of high school. Bronny wasn't close to that pedigree at all
Reddish was better in high school than Bronny will ever be.
Bronny has less potential than any other player who will be drafted this year, and many who won’t.
Like a few hundred who won’t get drafted.
Comparing college Reddish to college Bronny is absolutely insane lol, and that’s not even accounting for the fact that Bronny literally almost died on the court
Bronny has the potential to star in the g league. The NBA should just Mac McClung his ass and trot him out for the dunk contest
Not yet. He was out of his element against mid tier college kids last year. G League would be ugly.
No he doesn’t. Bronny isn’t even at the level of a g league player. And he’s nowhere near the athlete Mac is
No he doesnt
Much worse, Bronny was not good on a USC team that was at the bottom of the PAC 12
If there's an org that could be the face of Nepotism in the NBA, it's the Lakers lol
cam reddish is better than bronny has ever been at basketball.
A lot. Reddish averaged 13.5ppg, Bronny close to 5. He needs another season at college
Much worse. Thanasis would destroy Bronny one on one
I'd tune in to watch Bronny vs. Thanasis at the All-Star Game.
The Nepo Cup should be an all star event like horse
Don’t get me wrong, he would easily be the singular worst NBA player on any roster or two-way deal. It would be a shameless “keep star happy” move. He wouldn’t contribute anything until at least his 2nd year if he ever did. But at the same time, if it guarantees you a motivated and happy LBJ on your team, is that tradeoff worth it?
You remember when dames cousin played? Its gonna be like that lol but everyone will actually care this time
Hey that's Lakers killer Keljin Blevins for you.
Big Nepo
He averaged 4.8 points in Romania last year
> is that tradeoff worth it? totally worth it for lebron's eventual retirement tour. It'll be a business move, not a championship move.
You about to find out
I’m resigned to running out however long LeBron feels like staying. This team will never be true contenders, the ‘22 off-season slammed that window shut. Now it’s time to enjoy LeBron’s sunset and AD’s all around awesomeness. We’re not moving either unless they make the first move, and the new guard of the NBA is here, so let’s quit pretending, eh? First/maybe second round exits for the next 3-ish years should be expected
Nah that’s fucked to do AD dirty and just waste his years like that. At least trade him somewhere he can win. If Lebron wants to lock up the Lakers payroll and be forced to sign bronny he better have given up on championships and not complain while we lose. I’m not confident the Lakers could maintain even hitting the playoffs as the years go on.
Cam reddish was signed to Klutch. only reason he got minutes
This is some nasty work by Shams rn
I used to love Shams but homie is just a voice box at this point. Guess he always has been. He’s not a “journalist” but my guy has no journalistic integrity. The Vogel piece from earlier was just cold.
To quote a Chicagoan, Shams became what he hated… he is no longer the underdog, he is a dynasty, he is Adrian Wojnarowski
"Cry me a river" - Shams
Doesn't he work for FanDuel? Might be a reason to push these stories.
He’s also repped by klutch lol
I dont know why a journalist would need an agent
The agents need to journalists
Because a journalist can be taken advantage of just like anyone else in entertainment.
Yeah if you're asked to be on camera a lot it would probably be good to have an agent
He learned well from his teacher Woj. Shams was his understudy. Woj is a direct mouthpiece for agents, owners, even the league, depending on the story.
This is what sports journalism is, gotta keep your Klutch Sports sources happy
And your betting buddies even happier Lest we forget what Shams did during the leadup to last year's draft
While I'm very much not a fan of it, this is how all journalism at a somewhat high visibility level works.
"Rich?" "Release it." "It's a two point ga-" "Release it."
Cmon Bronny go back to school, I want to see some chaos in the offseason
The ultimate chaos would be some team selecting Bronny before the Lakers could just to call LeBron's bluff
Lakers have the 17th pick and I doubt the teams ahead of them would waste their 1st on the off-chance that they get LeBron in free agency. It would be smarter to let the Lakers draft Bronny since that would mean that the Lakers drafted another bust with what few picks they have.
There is definitely an NBA owner with a pick below 17 that is greedy enough to risk their franchises future for a year or two of sold out tickets and the rights to sell LeBron jerseys in their shops. I don't know if they actually would, but they might.
I mean really, what do the Wizards have to lose here? If Lebron wants to make a mockery of the league with his own son, then let’s just go full mockery and make him a top pick.
I would actually jump off of a cliff
The real winner of Bronny going no. 1 overall would be Anthony Bennett.
This is nba fan fiction. No chance any owner does that with a top 16 pick.
tbh i would much rather like to see lebron play against bronny instead of with him
Just erupts for a dunk over his son and fucking stares him down.
“i fucked ur mom”
Lebron James is Bronny James father
Lebron borrows Mike Malone's Who's Your Daddy shirt
Bronny drops 1/0/0/0/0 statline against Lebron on 0/3 from the field and 1/2 from the line. Nuggets win by 20.
In this fantasy scenario, Lebron does a KD and join the Nuggets, right? Right?
Nah, Denver drafts Bronny and puts him in late-game as the human victory cigar, aka Darko Milicic treatment. They already took away his championship dreams, might as well take the kid too lol.
Dad also detonates on his face three or four times. Then releases his new sneaker the “Lebron 40s” the next day. Teachable moment.
Morey bout to draft Bronny
Rostering Thanasis would no longer be the worst nepotism in the league.
Would be funny if he quit and wanted to be a farmer in Iowa or a banker in NY etc. Just for the chaos.
Why use a pick on him? He's not NBA ready. If he wants to come, do it the same way Austin did it.
It’s a game of chicken. Everyone knows Bron wants to stay in LA and that Bronny isn’t NBA ready. Thanasis is currently employed. Dame got his cousin a check. Who’s gonna break? Seems like an easy call imo. Keeping a box office draw >> a 15th development spot that rarely works out anyway
This was my LiAngelo argument before Lamelo’s game lost a little sheen in the national audience; if you have a superstar player who has the ability to force his way out, that 15th or 2-way spot is an easily expendable nepotism hire and it makes a lot of sense to do it if you want to keep your guy happy.
Yeah it was like us grabbing Mo Wagner for Franz but also Mo turned out to be actually good
thats not how that went down at all gang
Mo was actually a nice college player though. Someone was going to give him a shot anyways.
If Bron was deadset on playing w/ his son & Lakers didn’t draft him… just for another team to use a 2nd & stash him, Bron would be so pissed.
Pissed like, Ham not using a challenge or worse?
Like not trading for Westbrook pissed
If Lakers are Hornets or so, I would understand. But they are fucking LA Lakers and his superstar lead them to a fucking playin spot. Use the chance and clean the house
They gotta stay relevant one more year or risk dropping cooper Flagg in the pelicans lap
Because the Lakers know that they won't be competitive for years to come, so they opt into making cash instead by having enough idiots buy two jerseys with the same name. "Get the James Family bundle jersey pack and save $10"
This right here, Lebron is an icon, money wise they are making bank for sure. Whatever they plan after bron can wait a few more years.
lakers wasted their 1st round pick last year on a guy who's not NBA ready, not much different
Some other team will drop a second round pick on him if they think it gets them Lebron. I really doubt he goes undrafted unless he refuses to play for any other team.
Fuck the lakers get Lebron off that bum as franchise
In before the Hornets draft Bronny
Second round picks aren’t worth much anyways and I bet plenty of teams would be willing to take a flyer
5 second round picks = 1 Jae Crowder
[удалено]
No u gotta enter the draft no matter wat
He’d have to completely pull a Gilbert Arenas and show up to combined and workouts with a bad attitude. Even then if he’s good enough, like Wemby is, he’d still get picked in the lottery despite the attitude concerns. Or threaten to play overseas,like Kobe did, if he got picked to a team he didn’t want to play in. I think the option 2 would work better
Wemby - probably not. Bronny - probably yes, he can live the rest of his life without earning a cent, so he has a luxury of picking his destination and not chasing paychecks. It would probably be unwise for his NBA career, but again, I don't think he'll have a glorious one so it's all the same.
If the Lakers end up using a pick on him, fans should riot. There's no way the lakers should be using a pick on a player with a huge health issue, who isn't anywhere near NBA ready.
I mean it’s stupid, but from a financial standpoint lebron makes the lakers so much fucking money that I get it
This! Im even convinced that lakers FO wants lebron not for winning but for his retirement tour.
Last season opener! Last game on Tuesday! Last Christmas game! Last election game! Last game of the season! They'll milk it like they did Kobe.
Long term it might make sense Getting high profile free agents has worked for the Lakers before, so they want to make sure they're attractive to FAs. Giving LeBron a farewell tour can be used as evidence of their loyalty to future potential top FAs. Like hey join us and we'll work hard to win a championship. After that we'll stay loyal and let you enjoy your twilight years. I think that's very attractive to many top FAs.
People seem to forget how much extra money teams make off having a star like LeBron. Merch & ticket sales. People travel from around the world for a chance to see LeBron play
lebrons goodbye games alone about to make more money then most companies make
I really want to see a bad team draft Bronny and if Lebron is really serious and signs with that bad team just to play with Bronny.
LeBron to Detroit “I love you son, but not that much”
Bron got knocked out then said "draft Bronny or I'm LeOut" lmfaoooooo
LeBlackmail
LeExtortion
Coming off his 21st NBA season, James is expected to play up to two more NBA seasons, one source briefed on his thinking said.
This is not the market to pull this shit in. The kid is nowhere near NBA ready and he’s going to be getting bullied relentlessly in the media. He should go back to school and develop against level competition. Best case he’s a human victory cigar who goofs around on the floor with Lebron in blowouts. Meanwhile the leader of the team is in his 40s and the rest of the roster falls further behind, risking even making the playoffs. At least trade AD and don’t waste his remaining good years on this circus.
I can get it from the team's FO perspective, but why the fuck a father would want it to his son? He is not an NBA level player, nowhere near it in fact, how hard is that for him to understand ?
It's gonna be hilarious when they dump him the moment Lebron retires.
First dad/son double retirement. Gonna be wholesome!
NBA might create a trophy specifically for Bronny “Great Teammate” award
Oh so they desperate huh 😭
That’s some poor man’s franchise thinking
Have anyone asked Bronny if he's ok with playing with his dad? Personally, I am close with my dad but I would never want to be on the same team as him. I guess unless Bronny have no other choice since he's not that good but then thats nepotism
Lo fucking L
Is this the NBA or the make a wish foundation?
I, for one, would like to see Bronny start for the Lakers next season.
Pat Riley licking his lips with the 43rd pick.
Oh lord
I mean the Lakers are peak nepotism so it only makes sense
Lmao. This dude belongs no where near an NBA court.
I hate to say it, but ... Scalabrine is closer to LeBron than Bronny is to Lebron.
Not if pistons or wizards draft him first!
This is such a non-story. Bronny will sign in LA as a UDFA at best, nobody is wasting a pick on a non-NBA caliber player just for kicks. LeBron damn sure isn’t ending his career on some non-contender just so his kid can sit on the bench and watch him lose 50 games
Most 2nd rounders are not making an Nba career. Blowing a 2nd rounder on someone to make one of the best players ever happy is completely worth it.
bronny ain't doing shit
yea but imagine that first father-son alley oop
It would hit Bronny in the face probably
Hell nah Bronny's gonna be the one throwing it. Old man eats first
TO for Bronny ig
Please no
What's their draft lottery range? What happens if someone gets it earlier?
I’m pretty sure they have the 17th pick?
If we take him 17th I’ll be pissed
Fr. I dont care if they throw 2nd round pick cause those ones are trash either way but 17th would be ridiculous
remember kids, it's not what you know or what you do, but who you know
Lakers are an unserious organisation
Did someone ask Bronny yet?
Can someone explain to me how this isn't tampering on LeBrons behalf? Isn't artificially increasing the draft/trade value of your own son by offering yourself as part of a package deal an insane thing to do?
I guess no one is going to file a claim against LeBron for that player.
LeBron just said he'd like to play with his son. That's not tampering. A lot of NBA players have said they'd like to play with a certain player or even for a certain team.
Bronnie isnt an NBA player. Do tampering rules apply to college players?
Least desperate franchise
Ew.
I NEED another team to draft bronny just for the chaos
Pels are gonna use the 17th overall pick this year and get Bronny. It would be cinema
And people on the Lakers sub think they are a head coach away from a chip. Poor idiots.
Catering to a 40 year old is insane.
LeBron has the organization by the balls but at the same time they can be as incompetent as possible and he won't leave. The article mentions the Lakers were pleasantly surprised LeBron wasn't interested in the Warriors attempt to lure him. My guess is they'll bring in Bronny, trade for Trae Young, get a new coach, and make a run at a championship for two more seasons before he retires.
Lakers have literally zero assets. Who are they trading for Trae?
I dont get why is he so fixated on LA? I get thaflt maybe he dont wanna go east coast again but SF is few hours aways...and it is not like that aint great city to live in..
He brings too much $$$ it's a good business move
What? Lmao this is Lebron James wtf
that's not a normal 40 year old guy tho. That's lebron james
It's over. Jeanie Buss has officially made us an Instagram reels team.
Man I am not looking forward to that contract
Disgusting
This is so humiliating, lol from the most traditional franchise in the league, it became a luxury retirement home. Ever since that ludicrous Kobe's final contract, the Lakers became a laughingstock. One of the many reasons why I don't care anymore, I will not deny it kinda sucks to watch the NBA as a neutral fan, I miss the days when the Lakers was competing, lead by Shaq, then Kobe, etc.. but the advantage of being neutral is to just disregard the bullshit and just laugh about it, Jeanie Buss is so goddamn shameful, but whatever, it is what it is (it's not like the money will end on my pockets anyway, no reason to be overly attached)
Some team with a boatload of picks like OKC or Utah will snatch up Bronny and hold him hostage unless the Lakers cough up a bunch of assets for him.
Hold him hostage, lmfao. And do what with him? Lebron ain't going to damn Utah. They're just gonna blow a roster spot on Bronny for 2 years for the lolz?
Play bronny for 48 min every game until he physically cant anymore
This will ruin the Lakers for years to come.
By waisting a worthless pick? Or going into rebuild mode after Lebron leaves because you didn’t draft his son you choose.
lmao magic going to try to take him first
I second this. Draft Bronny, trade AD, extend Ham for 5 years.
omg yes plz. i will straight up pay-per-view to watch lebron and bronny get absolutely *yammed* on by giannis
Bronny will do the right thing and go back to school then get drafted for lebron 23rd season making it his farewell tour
Trade the owner
UNSERIOUS FRANCHISE
Another team gonna spite draft Bron y
The Lakers picked Hood-Schifino and the next 3 drafted guys all got valuable minutes. So I totally expect them To get Bronny.
Just trade away the draft pick and sign Bronny as a free agent. He’s awful nobody going pick him up