“I’m not sure where Bronny wants to go. We absolutely liked Bronny. “We thought he was a good player,” Ishbia stated on the Pat McAfee Show. “I understand the Lakers drafted him. I hope he has a successful career. He has a high basketball IQ, performs a lot of excellent things, and faces a lot of pressure. He’s under a lot of pressure as the son of one of history’s greatest athletes.
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, James worked out for only the Lakers and the Suns during the pre-draft process leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft, despite receiving attention from at least six other clubs.
The Suns entered the 2024 NBA Draft with only the No. 22 pick, but executed a draft-day trade to obtain the No. 28 and 56 picks. Phoenix general manager James Jones then traded the No. 56 pick to move up to No. 40. While the No. 28 pick was likely too early for James, who was not expected as a first-round pick, the No. 40 pick was reasonable.
Was Bronny James ever going to join the Suns?
Phoenix had a draft pick just where James was supposed to be chosen. If the Lakers had hesitated, LeBron James and his kid might not have had the opportunity to play together. However, when the Suns had the 40th overall pick, they selected Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro, leaving James to slip to the Lakers near the end of the second round.
“I wish (Bronny James) the best,” Ishbia remarked. “But we feel good. People want to come here. We want Phoenix to be a destination for the Mercury, the Suns, their players, and fans. We want it to be a destination so that when individuals want to play for us or join our organization, whether they are free agents or rookies, it feels amazing.”
“We’re attempting to develop that in Phoenix. We’re attempting to do something extraordinary. So it’s always a good thing, in my perspective.
Bronny James has averaged five points, four rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 25.9 minutes for the Lakers in two Summer League games; he has also failed to make a single three-pointer.
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