2024 NBA Draft talk: Suns own pick 22

[95pro]

He is a billionaire but to leave 50M on the table...Is chasing one last ring with this Suns squad worth it, while having your son on the roster too? He and his son could be nba champs together. They would make it all back on endorsements and such.

 

[Covert Rain]

That could be our leverage on a trade with the Lakers. Not sure what we would want, but a three team trade could work. We would use our 22cnd pick for someone(s) we value, and make the pick for Bronny for the Lakers. Or the opposite is true and Lebron figures these are the two teams that Lebron wants to play for. I saw this rumor on Brendon Kleen's podcast way before Flex. So I give him credit on the conjecture.

There have been several prognosticators that have had this rumor out there for weeks.

 

[Red Bird]

I think he's already decided he wants to play in LA (as long as they draft his kid).

The way it was explained to me, Lebron would tell LA not to draft his son if he decides to come here.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The way it was explained to me, Lebron would tell LA not to draft his son if he decides to come here.

I hadn't heard that, I guess it's possible. To me it makes more sense that it went the other way but we'll see. I just think Lebron very much wants to finish his career in LA for a variety of reasons and we become his best backup plan if he can't get his own team to draft his kid.

 

[Dan H]

Bobby Marks was saying on the PHX podcast it would behoove any team interested in Bronny to make the call to Rich Paul to see if Lebron is in play. He was basically saying the Suns SHOULD do their homework. I think, and this is just me reading between the tea leaves, that Bobby Marks is hearing Lebron may be in play, otherwise he just shoots down the rumor.

At what point does they reach tampering? Truly curious.

 

[Covert Rain]

At what point does they reach tampering? Truly curious.

Can they get busted for tampering when LeBron is a free agent and Bronny is not in the NBA yet? Interesting.

 

[Proximo]

Very interesting. Tea leaves are lining up.

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[ASUCHRIS]

I can't even imagine why any of this is under discussion. WE HAVE NO CAP SPACE. Unless Lebron is willing to take a 50M hit, how is this possible?

 

[Proximo]

I can't even imagine why any of this is under discussion. WE HAVE NO CAP SPACE. Unless Lebron is willing to take a 50M hit, how is this possible?

He has over a billion dollars and does not need the money - plus if we draft his son at 22 - that is a 20 million dollar contract - which is at least 15 million more than he gets if he goes in the 2nd or as a free agent.

My own theory - Maybe Matt's brother is willing to sell his share of the Suns to Lebron, and that is what is being used as a deal sweetner.

 

[Dan H]

Can they get busted for tampering when LeBron is a free agent and Bronny is not in the NBA yet? Interesting.

I’m not sure. He’s still under contract until the new league year begins, right? I don’t know if the NBA has a moratorium like the NFL does.

 

[Chaplin]

I’m not sure. He’s still under contract until the new league year begins, right? I don’t know if the NBA has a moratorium like the NFL does.

From what I understand the offseason starts as soon as a team is no longer playing. So once the Lakers got eliminated, their offseason began. But whether that is part of the current or new league year, I don't know. I'm sure there are a lot of clauses that determine what those terms actually mean in the CBA.

 

[Cheesebeef]

From what I understand the offseason starts as soon as a team is no longer playing. So once the Lakers got eliminated, their offseason began. But whether that is part of the current or new league year, I don't know. I'm sure there are a lot of clauses that determine what those terms actually mean in the CBA.

I don’t think that’s right for FA and is why we’ve seen team penalized the last couple years for tampering after signing FA at midnight (can’t remember who those teams were) They’re still under contract and can’t be contacted from other teams without permission.

Sixers were one of them:

76ers Found Guilty of Tampering in Free Agency, Stripped of 2023, 2024 2nd-Rounders

The NBA <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1587172648127266817">announced</a> Monday it stripped the Philadelphia 76ers of their second-round picks in...

www.bleacherreport.com

 

[Chaplin]

I don’t think that’s right for FA and is why we’ve seen team penalized the last couple years for tampering after signing FA at midnight (can’t remember who those teams were) They’re still under contract and can’t be contacted from other teams without permission.

Sixers were one of them:

76ers Found Guilty of Tampering in Free Agency, Stripped of 2023, 2024 2nd-Rounders

The NBA <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1587172648127266817">announced</a> Monday it stripped the Philadelphia 76ers of their second-round picks in...

www.bleacherreport.com

Free agency doesn't start until July 1st, that's still the rule, but that is completely separate when it comes to when the league year and/or the offseason begins. Point is, July 1st isn't necessarily the start of the year, just when free agency starts.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

He has over a billion dollars and does not need the money - plus if we draft his son at 22 - that is a 20 million dollar contract - which is at least 15 million more than he gets if he goes in the 2nd or as a free agent.

My own theory - Maybe Matt's brother is willing to sell his share of the Suns to Lebron, and that is what is being used as a deal sweetner.

This all seems fanciful.

 

[GatorAZ]

I can't even imagine why any of this is under discussion. WE HAVE NO CAP SPACE. Unless Lebron is willing to take a 50M hit, how is this possible?

It’s just twitter/sports radio fodder. Lebron is trying to become the wealthiest and most powerful athlete in the world so he’s never taking a pay cut.

 

[taz02]

It’s just twitter/sports radio fodder. Lebron is trying to become the wealthiest and most powerful athlete in the world so he’s never taking a pay cut.

True, but Lebron is also close to retirement, and is likely looking for opportunities beyond his contract.

Helping out a new, billionaire team owner could present all kinds of financial opportunities.

I think you are right about this being fodder. However, it is possible, and does make some sense.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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If this is true he’s insane.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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Well at least this offseason doesn’t seem to be as boring as some predicted…

 

[Proximo]

If this is true he’s insane.

No he isn't. He knows reality - he would never get drafted or workout well enough to get drafted if his last name wasn't James.

He knows the only way he gets drafted is if his dad strong arms a team into it.

 

[Sunburn]

Crap, it’s not a hoax domain …

Did Lebron James Acquire Lebron.com? | DomainInvesting.com

If you visit the Lebron.com domain name right now, you can see that it forwards to LebronJames.com, the website for NBA superstar Lebron James. Lebron.com is currently registered under privacy at GoDaddy, so it is unclear if Mr. James acquired the domain name, but it appears that someone...

domaininvesting.com

I don't buy this. The linked article from 2019 doesn't make sense to me. Presently, the domain doesn't forward to lebronjames.com. The owner of lebron.com is still unknown. The two X/twitter sources from the article, Darryl Lopes and Joshua Shoen, look to be a guy selling domains and a guy promoting crypto currency, respectively. The owner/author of the blog, Elliot Silver, also appears to be a guy making money off domain names.

Here's an article from three days ago referencing lebron.com saying the owner of the domain is unknown.

LeBron James NBA free agency countdown clock has Suns fans buzzing: 'Like father like sun'

An official sounding website has Phoenix Suns fans dreaming of LeBron James signing with their team in NBA free agency. But the site isn't official.

sports.yahoo.com

I would think if there was an affiliation between Lebron James and this lebron.com, there would be more evidence to back it up since 2019 than the word/speculation of a few random internet sales guys.

 

[BirdGangThing]

please no - just no

 

[Hoop Head]

From what I understand the offseason starts as soon as a team is no longer playing. So once the Lakers got eliminated, their offseason began. But whether that is part of the current or new league year, I don't know. I'm sure there are a lot of clauses that determine what those terms actually mean in the CBA.

Then how did we get popped for tampering with Eubanks last off-season? He played in Portland, who didn't make the playoffs. Yet it was said we spoke to him prior to the free agency period starting. He wasn't a free agent after Portland played their final game of the season.

@Dan H is right, there's a ton of tampering issues that would come about in these scenarios suggested. Considering the Suns were recently popped for tampering and I'm sure the Lakers won't be happy with losing LeBron, I can definitely see them pushing the league to investigate.

 

[Yuma]

We can talk to agents any time and it's not tampering. Players can talk to players.

 

[Mainstreet]

I believe it was Jerry Colangelo who said it, but I'm not 100% sure.

The saying went, if you can't win, at least be exciting.

Looks like the Suns are going to take the latter road for sure.

 

[Covert Rain]

I believe it was Jerry Colangelo who said it, but I'm not 100% sure.

The saying went, if you can't win, at least be exciting.

Looks like the Suns are going to take the latter road for sure.

That may have been true at one point but the argument to be “exciting” is good enough is paper thin 50+ years later and zero titles. It’s not just the NBA either. The Suns are on a futility list for no titles across all sports.