Can Rich Paul Steer Bronny James to His Dream NBA Team?

On Wednesday, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul spoke on the record to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony about his client Bronny James and was surprisingly transparent. Some of the more notable things he said:

“The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn’t re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”

“I don’t care about [Bronny] going to the Lakers, or Phoenix, or about what number he gets picked. It’s about fit.”

“There are other teams that love Bronny. For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it’s not the Lakers, it will be someone else.”

“If Bronny’s name was Charles Jacobsen and he was my client, I would do the same thing: identify teams that have real interest.”

Sheesh! Once I read the ESPN story, I quoted Givony’s post on X and said how fascinating it is that Klutch is being this public about Bronny’s draft outlook. Not only was Paul discussing Bronny’s stock, but he was also giving specific teams and slots where he could be selected:

Agents usually try to avoid making these types of comments on the record, but it’s not the first time Paul has done something like this—and it won’t be the last. Not long after that, Paul and I caught up on the phone to discuss Bronny and why Paul is so comfortable talking about his draft stock publicly. Then we got into why a team’s environment plays such a pivotal role in a draft pick’s success and how another client of Paul’s—Dereck Lively II, who helped the Mavericks reach the Finals as a rookie—serves as a perfect example. (Later, I’ll share seven of my favorite prospect-team fits in this year’s draft class.)

The Spotlight on Bronny

“I saw your comment about it being fascinating to speak publicly,” Paul said. “But it’s fascinating to see the public speak so much about what probably in most cases is not even being talked about, right?”

There’s been a swarm of media covering Bronny’s every move since he first set foot on USC’s campus. As the draft has grown closer, the buzz has only grown louder. But it’s a strange phenomenon for a player projected to go in the second round. Bronny is currently no. 58 on my Big Board, but he’s drawing more eyeballs than any player projected to go in the lottery.

“We haven’t seen what some anonymous scout said about a player who he didn’t think would be drafted,” Paul said. “And obviously, we understand where it comes from.”

The overwhelming media attention obviously stems from the fact that Bronny is the son of LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. But LeBron has already talked for years about his desire to play with his son. And he can become a free agent this summer. Thus, Bronny is a huge point of interest for the entire league, which is why Paul hasn’t avoided commenting on him.

“I know most guys in my position don’t really go on the record and speak about things,” said Paul. “Everybody plays a different game. I play my cards face down in most cases. But in some instances, like this situation, I don’t mind playing the cards face up. I’m very matter of fact. In a lot of situations, it’s not much gray; it’s pretty black and white. And this stuff, it’s just harmless. It’s black and white, so I don’t mind talking about it.”

Bronny is a divisive prospect around the NBA. In an article I wrote in April, I quoted one anonymous general manager who said that Bronny would’ve been “a first-rounder if he had shot well” during his freshman season at USC. Another GM said, “Bronny is nowhere near ready.”

After all, he was a bench player during his one year at USC. No matter where someone ranks Bronny on their Big Board, he is a project.

“Look, I think whether it’s Bronny or whether it’s anybody in this draft, 1 through 60, they all need development. And there’s some guys that are further along,” Paul said. “In Bronny’s case, he’ll say it himself, just getting somewhere where he can have the opportunity, the investment, the development, all those things are equally important.”

It seems like that’s why the Lakers and Suns have the most appeal for Klutch: They are veteran-laden teams that can afford to be patient with Bronny. The same goes for the Mavericks and Timberwolves, and the Raptors have a stellar track record of developing young players. I don’t believe that Paul’s openness about the teams interested in Bronny is purely an attempt to boost his draft stock. In recent weeks, before Paul’s comments on Wednesday, executives around the NBA expressed the belief that Bronny will get drafted, possibly even in the late first round. It’s a matter of when more than if.

“There’s a lot of opinionated people in our industry, some in the media, some wanting to be media, and that’s our sport. That comes with the territory,” Paul said. “But for me in my position, I’m just trying to find the best opportunity, whether it’s for Bronny, whether it’s for Rob Dillingham, whether it’s for Terrence Shannon, or Justin Edwards, or KJ Simpson, or Oso Ighodaro. Any [Klutch] guys in our class. That’s the draft.”

The Dereck Lively II Blueprint

Every year, agents do their best to steer clients to their preferred destinations. You can do only so much, of course. A prospect can refuse to do workouts or submit medical information, but a team can select them anyway. An agent can have a poor relationship with a GM, but the team can still—and sometimes will—pick their client.

“It takes a lot of luck. Things have to fall your way,” Paul said.

This is precisely what happened one year ago with one of Paul’s clients: Dallas Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively II, who was drafted 12th out of Duke. The Mavericks desperately needed help in the middle, and they lucked out (with a little help from the final game of the season) when Lively fell into their laps. Dallas brought Lively along slowly during the regular season, but he finished as a second-team All-Rookie and played a pivotal role during the Mavericks’ run to the Finals. Dallas posted a plus-9.1 net rating in his minutes during the postseason, the best of anyone in the Mavs rotation, because of his versatile defense, rebounding, and verticality on offense.

“If you talk to Dereck, he’ll tell you, ‘The first team Rich spoke to me about was the Dallas Mavericks,’” Paul said. “And the reason for that was there was a glaring hole at his position on that team. And when you have guards like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, it just brings forth so much opportunity for you. Now, you have to go in there with the understanding that you’re not going to get post-ups and they’re not going to play through you, but if you clean the glass, run the floor, sprint out, you can be extremely valuable to the team. And we worked on that. All predraft, we worked on setting screens properly, setting, resetting, rolling out, short rolling, slipping, diving.”

Because of rising salaries and a more restrictive collective bargaining agreement, having players who contribute on rookie-scale deals is pivotal. Lively was one of the NBA’s best centers during the playoffs. And he will make only $5 million, $5.3 million, and $7.2 million over the next three seasons.

“With the new rules, having a player play above their pay is extremely valuable. It is,” Paul said. “Look at OKC. Between Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, both of those guys perform above their pay. That’s a beautiful thing for OKC. It allows them to have the [cap] space they have.”

And a player’s ability to make that sort of impact on a rookie deal largely hinges on fit, which is why Paul stresses it so much. “Oftentimes we spend too much time focusing on going the highest,” Paul said of the draft. “And obviously, we know the monetary component that’s aligned with that, but it’s a short-term way of thinking, in my opinion.”

If a rookie can develop and get opportunities on the floor with a team that’s the right fit, it can lead to a bigger second contract than if they were a high pick who got buried on the bench and lost in the shuffle

There’s been a lot of talk that the 2024 draft class is “weak.” That’s true in one sense because there isn’t a clear best prospect. But in reality, the class is quite deep with strong role player talent. Exactly the type of talent that could be instrumental to a team’s playoff run.

And these players come in different forms. Sometimes, they’re on the older side, like Sam Hauser, who turned 24 during his rookie season and is 26 now. Other times, they’re younger players who are way ahead of schedule or who can thrive in a defined role. Lively was drafted at 19 and turned 20 earlier this year. Team fit is especially crucial for the youngsters to find early success.

Klutch is trying to find the best fit for Bronny, just as it did for Lively, and just as other agents are trying to do for their clients. This is why, so far at least, power forward Alex Sarr has refused to work out for the Hawks, who have the first pick, because he and his agency reportedly prefer teams drafting behind them (Sarr is represented by Excel). And it’s also why guard Stephon Castle has worked out only for teams that don’t have a point guard (Castle is represented by Wasserman). Being drafted high isn’t necessarily the biggest priority anymore. Players and agents have realized that developmental opportunities on the floor could offer the greatest financial rewards down the line.

So who could this year’s version of Lively be? Who’s the next ready-made prospect who could land in an ideal situation? Here are seven players who I believe could make an impact immediately if they land on the right team.

Seven Dream Prospect-Team Fits (Including Bronny)

Donovan Clingan, center, UConn sophomore

7-foot-2, 282 pounds, age 20

The skinny: Clingan’s dimensions are similar to Rudy Gobert’s, but he will have far more seasoning to his game than the four-time Defensive Player of the Year did when he entered the NBA in 2013. As a two-time national champion, Clingan has enough experience and spatial awareness, on top of his pure athletic gifts, to help a team’s defense right away. And on offense, between his freshman and sophomore seasons he made significant progress as an interior scorer who flashed some perimeter potential in both shooting and facilitating.

The fit: Memphis (no. 9). Clingan, like Lively, is a good example of a player who’d be better off landing in the mid-to-late lottery than up high. But there are rumblings that he could go as high as the Hawks’ first pick. But if he doesn’t go to Atlanta and Washington elects to take Sarr, then he could tumble, barring a trade. The Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, Hornets, Blazers, and Spurs again, drafting no. 3 through no. 8, already have centers. Then there are the Grizzlies, sitting there at the ninth pick; after trading Steven Adams last season, they don’t have a center. Ja Morant thrives in the pick-and-roll with a roller like Clingan. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Clingan could form a devastating frontcourt. In all likelihood, the Grizzlies would have to trade up to land Clingan. But there’s no better team for him to come in and thrive right away.

Devin Carter, guard, Providence junior

6-foot-2, 193 pounds, age 22

The skinny: At the start of the college season, Carter wasn’t even on my Big Board; this month, he’s in the top 10. Even though he’s older, development is never linear, and he has qualities that’d allow him to fit in on any NBA team. He’s an incredible at-rim finisher. He shot 37.7 percent from 3 in his most recent college season. He’s a dominant defender with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. He grabbed 8.7 rebounds per game as a guard last season. He’s the type of do-it-all player who could fill the Derrick White or Jrue Holiday role on the Celtics. But of course, he won’t be on the board by then.

The fit: San Antonio (nos. 4 and 8). Last week, Carter and UConn freshman guard Stephon Castle went head-to-head in a workout in San Antonio. Both of them would be perfect fits on the Spurs, but Carter might be more ready. His point-of-attack defense would pair beautifully with Victor Wembanyama’s rim protection, and since Carter is capable of doing anything on offense, he’d be able to create space for Wemby off the ball, set screens for him, post up, or run pick-and-rolls like a normal guard.

Rob Dillingham, guard, Kentucky freshman

6-foot-1, 164 pounds, age 19

The skinny: Dillingham is an electric shotmaker and was one of college basketball’s best shooters last season. He made 47.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s and 37.9 percent of his dribble-jumper 3s. Off the bounce, the dude can get into his shot whenever he wants, but he’s also capable of flying around off the ball and launching without even putting the ball on the floor. He made progress as a playmaker and decision-maker, too, an important additive skill for him since, as one of the smallest players in the game, he’ll always get attacked.

The fit: Miami (no. 15). In my mock draft last week, Kentucky fans got pissed at me for sending Dillingham to Miami. I thought it was strange, as if it’s a bad thing that he’d get paired with Bam Adebayo for years to come. Adebayo would protect Dillingham on defense and provide him with a great partner on offense. Since Bam is so skilled with the ball in his hands, he’s an ideal dribble-handoff and pick-and-roll big to pair with Dillingham’s shifty creation ability.

Reed Sheppard, guard, Kentucky freshman

6-foot-2, 182 pounds, age 20

The skinny: Sheppard is the greatest 3-point-shooting prospect to enter the NBA since Stephen Curry. As Ryen Russillo detailed last week on The Bill Simmons Podcast, he ranks in the 96th percentile or higher in every shooting category tracked by Synergy Sports: catch-and-shoot 3s guarded, catch-and-shoot 3s unguarded, dribble jumpers, and floaters. He’s also a crafty at-rim finisher and playmaker. Yes, he’s a small white dude who doesn’t exactly look the part of a star and will get targeted on defense. But he’s a relentless, instinctive defender who will compete and make plays away from the ball.

The fit: Houston (no. 3). Houston is a dream scenario because it already has ball handlers who could take pressure off Sheppard early in his career. He could just focus on what he does best and shoot the hell out of the ball while working to develop his shot creation behind the scenes. And if his handle does develop to the point that he can run the offense, he could end up being the best player in this class.

Tristan da Silva, forward, Colorado senior

6-foot-8, 217 pounds, age 23

The skinny: Da Silva shoots nearly 40 percent from 3, and he does just about everything else on offense. He’s a high-IQ cutter. He’s a good finisher. He can pass the ball out of handoffs, pick-and-rolls, cuts, and transition attacks. He competes on defense and can defend multiple positions. There’s a lack of true upside to his game, but he also has star role player potential, and those guys are vital for building a winning five-man unit.

The fit: Philadelphia (no. 16). TDS is one of the oldest prospects in this class and is ready to help a team right away. The Sixers seem like a dream spot for him since, no matter what they do in free agency to build a contender around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, they need some cheap rotation players who can contribute.

Pacome Dadiet, French wing

6-foot-8, 217 pounds, age 18

The skinny: Dadiet is often overlooked in this draft class because so many people are focused on the three French prospects who will be taken in the lottery. Dadiet is young and raw, but he displays major flashes as a scorer because of his pull-up ability and spot-up shooting. He can pass, too. And he has the build to someday become a versatile defender

The fit: Boston (no. 30). There’d be zero expectations for Dadiet with the Celtics since he’d be joining a deep team that has all of its returning rotation players. But he is in need of developmental time behind the scenes, and Boston could give him heavy minutes in the G League. Once minutes open up in the rotation in a season or two, he could be ready to fit right in as a versatile defender who can shoot, dribble, and pass, a blend of traits that seems to be a requirement for all Celtics.

Bronny James, guard, USC freshman

6-foot-2, 210 pounds, age 19

The skinny: James is a connective playmaker and a disruptive defender who needs to develop his jumper and his handle to carve out a consistent role in the NBA. It took some time for Bronny’s dad to become a reliable shooter, too, so perhaps at some point Bronny’s picturesque form will be matched by positive results. But in college, James made only 19.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s, and he didn’t get to the paint all that often. He needs time.

The fit: Toronto (no. 31). I hadn’t thought of the Raptors for Bronny until Paul mentioned to ESPN that they’re interested. But their organization has done such a great job of developing young, raw players over the years. And there is no expectation for them to win anytime soon, so he’d be able to grow at his own pace alongside a bunch of other young players, spending time in both the G League and the big leagues, like Gradey Dick (picked 13th) did last year. Compared to the blinding spotlight of playing next to his father in Los Angeles, Toronto would be a pressure-free situation. And if Bronny is successful, then the moniker “LeBronto” could take on a whole new meaning.