The Phoenix Suns are reportedly targeting LeBron James in free agency by attempting to get Bronny James from the upcoming draft. The thing is, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer might not be too keen in joining at below his market value.
During the previous offseason, the Suns’ front office chose to move on from Chris Paul by swapping him for Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal. The wisdom behind this move was to add the All-Star shooting guard to the duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to create a trio that can overwhelm opponents on the offensive end of the court.
While the plan definitely looked good on paper, the actual result didn’t really work out well. Instead of dominating the Western Conference, the Suns finished sixth with a record of 49 wins and 33 losses. Their offense only ended up in ninth place while their defense was ranked 13th among 30 teams in the NBA.
Perhaps the most frustrating detail about their run this season is how they were swept in the first round by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even with all the offensive firepower they have, Phoenix was unable to get even just one win in the series. As a result, Frank Vogel was fired and the Suns were left with an expensive roster that didn’t produce any tangible results.
Phoenix Suns’ Big Problem With Pursuing LeBron James in Free Agency
Apart from hiring Mike Budenholzer as Vogel’s replacement, the Suns are looking at other ways to improve the team. One option is detailed in a tweet by Evan Sidery on X and it involves LeBron James and his son Bronny.
“The Suns are hoping to pursue LeBron James this offseason, which is why Bronny James is a very serious draft option at No. 22 overall to potentially lure him in.
Phoenix appears to believe they can convince LeBron to join forces with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to create a historic superteam.
LeBron would be sacrificing almost $50 million next season, if he were to legitimately consider joining the Suns on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Could the Suns really be plotting LeBron and Bronny as their big plan? It certainly seems that’s on the table,” Sidery tweeted.
While getting Bronny is certainly possible, getting the elder James on a veteran’s minimum deal might be problematic for the Suns. From LeBron’s perspective, joining the core of Durant, Booker, and Beal might not be a formula for success and playing in Phoenix might not seem more enticing than Los Angeles or Cleveland.
If the Suns make room and allow more money for the King, there might be a chance for him and his son to play together in the Valley. In any case, it’d be some time before James’ free agency plans will be announced since the upcoming NBA Draft is at the end of June.
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