Rich Paul has never had to worry too much about finding the right fit for LeBron James, who would click into place on any NBA roster. But putting his son Bronny on the best possible path to NBA success won't be quite that easy.
Bronny James likely won't be an early first-round pick, and Paul admitted as much to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes. The goal is finding the right fit for the 19-year-old, even if that means shutting out certain teams and situations.
In James' case, a two-way contract is firmly off the table.
"Teams know that. I'm not doing that," Paul told Bleacher Report.
A two-way deal would likely force James to spend part of his rookie season in the G League, regardless of how well he plays. A standard NBA contract wouldn't take the G League off the table, but it would make it more likely for James to stick around on an NBA roster.
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Despite his public angling, the process of finding the ideal fit for players who aren't lottery prospects is something he does each year, Paul insisted.
"This is not Bronny-centric," Paul said. "He's a part of our draft class. I have to try to help find the right for all my guys as well as the right deal."
Here's a closer look at James' projected draft range and what makes a two-way contract different than a standard NBA contract.
Bronny James NBA Draft projection
Paul gave the clearest view yet of what he expects James' draft range to be. While some teams see the USC freshman guard as a candidate to be picked in the 20-40 range, Paul told Bleacher Report, others put him in the 30-50 range and still others slate him as an undrafted free agent.
That's a wide range, which isn't unusual for players with as many unknowns as James. Any team that selects James will be doing so based on raw potential, if not for the connection to his father.
Still, all it takes is one team to be higher on his potential than others for James to come off the board earlier than expected. And one of those teams might be emerging.
The Suns are considering James with the No. 22 pick, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Friday, and will work him out before the draft. James has 10 workout requests but won't accept all of them, the report adds. The Suns and Lakers are among teams James will work out for.
Here's a look at why a two-way contract makes sense for many NBA second-round picks, and what James' refusal could mean.
What is a two-way contract in the NBA?
Two-way contracts allow players to split time between the NBA and the G League. In 2023-24, players on two-way contracts made about $560,000, half of the NBA rookie minimum salary, and they could be active for no more than 50 of their team's 82 games.
A handful of 2023 second-round picks signed two-way deals after the draft.
| Player | Pick | Team | NBA games played |
| Amari Bailey | 41 | Hornets | 10 |
| Seth Lundy | 46 | Hawks | 9 |
| Jordan Miller | 48 | Clippers | 8 |
| Emoni Bates | 49 | Cavaliers | 15 |
| Keyontae Johnson | 50 | Thunder | 9 |
| Jaylen Clark | 53 | Timberwolves | 0 |
| Jalen Slawson | 54 | Kings | 12 |
| Isaiah Wong | 55 | Pacers | 1 |
Eight of the final 18 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft signed two-way deals, so Paul's demand that James not sign a two-way contract is notable and could limit the USC guard's potential landing spots.
That might be what Paul wants, however. He's made it clear he's focused on finding the right fit, not necessarily the earliest pick, for his client.
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From a playing time perspective, it's easy to see why Paul isn't interested in a two-way contract for James. No 2023 draft pick who signed a two-way deal played more than 15 NBA games as a rookie, and almost all appearances between the eight players came during the "garbage time" portion of the game.
When they weren't in the NBA, these players were able to get more consistent time and development at the G League level. Time will tell whether James' NBA home will want him to do the same.
