LeBron James’ potential free agency is already dominating discussions in the midst of the NBA Playoffs. While the star is more likely to return to Los Angeles, speculation has increased about a possible return to Cleveland or a new venture somewhere like Oklahoma City or Golden State.
Add another name to the list: The Suns may be throwing their hat into the ring.
LeBron’s oldest son, Bronny James, has received more than 10 invitations to train, but will only train with the Suns and Lakers. according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The Suns are said to be considering him with the 22nd pick. Could that lead to a LeBron superteam in Phoenix?
Let’s take a closer look.
Why LeBron James would join the Suns
If the Suns were to select Bronny with the 22nd pick, the appeal for LeBron to join his son would be obvious.
LeBron has expressed his desire to play with his son numerous times, insisting that he would do whatever it took to make that dream come true. The Suns would also be a great landing spot for LeBron. They have star power in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but they didn’t have the depth to advance in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
LeBron is still at the All-NBA level. His passing would also be extremely valuable for a Suns team that lacks a true point guard and has looked disjointed at times.
LeBron would create one of the most talented foursomes in NBA history. That group would be the title favorites if he came out of the West, and it would be a storybook ending to LeBron’s career.
Bronny is still a raw prospect, but he could contribute. He projects as a Davion Mitchell-style 3-and-D role player. In theory, he would fit pretty well with what the Suns need.
How LeBron James could join the Suns
While the idea of LeBron walking off into the sunset getting himself and his son a championship ring sounds good in theory, how realistic is it? It all depends on how much LeBron is willing to sacrifice.
The Suns are in a terrible financial situation. They will be deep in the second deck and are projected to pay $127 million in taxes next season. by Spotrac.
Second-tier teams have no room to sign free agents outside of the veteran minimums. For LeBron to join the Suns, he would have to opt out of his $51.4 million salary from the Lakers and sign that minimum contract for just over $3 million.
LeBron has earned almost half a billion dollars throughout his NBA career and many hundreds of millions more outside of basketball. Still, $48 million is a lot of money, no matter how rich you are. Would he be willing to sacrifice that amount?
The Suns are prevented from signing and trades that would give LeBron a more reasonable salary due to second platform restrictions. Kevin Durant is the highest-paid player on the Suns roster, and even he couldn’t be traded for LeBron because of those rules.
The Suns couldn’t give up any of their rotation players to add LeBron to the roster. Instead, they would have to convince LeBron to take an incredible pay cut.
NBA history is littered with veterans who earned minimum salaries to chase a ring at the end of their careers. However, none of those players turned down $50 million guaranteed to do so. Never say never, but the chances of such a scenario playing out seem very slim.
