5 things LeBron James and Klutch Sports did to dictate Lakers’ front office in 2024 offseason

LeBron James and Rich Paul have been in the limelight since the LA Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The four-time NBA MVP had a $51.4 million player option with the Lakers and refused to comment about his future with the team. James said that he and his representative (Paul) would consider all things and make a decision at the right time.

The Lakers were not in a hurry since James’ deadline to decide about his player option was only today. Paul also made it clear that the NBA superstar is not a package deal with Bronny James. The agent claimed that the father could play elsewhere even if the team picked his son in the draft.

Following the draft and LeBron James’ reported decision to opt out of his contract, things are clearer than last week. How James and Paul executed their plans has to be applauded. They seem to have ended in the exact spot where they wanted to be.

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LeBron James and Rich Paul had the Lakers on a string

LeBron James and Rich Paul are unquestionably the most influential in their respective positions. James is still arguably the face of the NBA and Paul is the sports agent with connections everywhere. Together, they had the LA Lakers dancing to their tune.

Here are 5 things they did to get what they wanted:

#5 James waited for the deadline to decide his future with the Lakers

LeBron James deciding his future with the LA Lakers during the deadline wasn’t ordinary. He has done it multiple times in his career. But this year is unlike any other year considering how the draft was positioned to put pressure on the Lakers to get Bronny James.

James’ deadline came two days after the NBA draft. The four-time MVP’s original stance was he would play for the team that gets his eldest son. He has since softened it by saying he was okay lining up across James Jr.

With LeBron James’ future up in the air, the Lakers knew they had to get his son. There was just no way Rob Pelinka would pick somebody else with the former Trojan still on the board.

#4 Bronny James only worked out with the Lakers and the Suns

Rich Paul said that Bronny James would be methodical leading into the draft process. He wasn’t going to work out for every team that would show interest in him. Paul wasn’t just methodical. He was exclusive in choosing the teams James Jr. would work out with.

With James Jr. only working out with the Lakers and the Suns, LeBron James and his agent piled pressure on Pelinka. There was no mistaking the intention of what the NBA superstar and the Klutch Sports CEO wanted the general manager to do.

The Suns only had the 22nd and the 56th picks in the draft. Reports came out that they were considering the former Trojans backup guard at No. 22. There was very little chance they would do that when they could get immediate help from that spot.

To jump over the Lakers, if they were that interested in James Jr., the Suns needed to trade up. They did twice but held off from getting the under-scrutinized prospect after Bob Myers' bomb (more on that later) before the second round started.

#3 Rich Paul was adamant Bronny James would not sign a two-way deal

Rich Paul wanted to make sure everyone understood Bronny James wasn’t any ordinary rookie. He insisted that James Jr. wasn’t going to sign a two-way contract if undrafted.

It meant the Lakers could not pick another prospect at No. 55 and then go back for LeBron James’ son. If Rob Pelinka did not understand what the elder James and Paul wanted, he should clearly have understood the message by then.

#2 Rich Paul reportedly telling teams not to draft Bronny James

Before the second round of the NBA draft started, former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers dropped a stunning report. The now ESPN analyst said on national TV that Rich Paul had been calling teams to stay away from Bronny James. Myers claimed that if somebody picks James Jr. other than the Lakers, the younger was taking his talents to Australia.

The controversial move made it point, set and match won for LeBron James and the Klutch Sports head. They practically shoved James Jr. into Rob Pelinka’s face.

#1 LeBron James is willing to take a pay cut to bring in veteran help

Two days after an emotional night hearing Bronny James’ name called in the NBA draft, LeBron James took care of personal business. He reportedly opted out of his contract before Rich Paul said that the four-time champ is willing to take a pay cut for a new deal.

According to Paul, James was willing to accept less than the three-year $162 million contract he was eligible to get. Getting less than the max deal would activate the Lakers’ $12.9 million midlevel exception, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

McMenamin elaborated on how that could help the Lakers:

“The type of player that James would be willing to make a financial sacrifice for would be an established veteran playmaker such as James Harden or Klay Thompson, or an established big man to play alongside Anthony Davis such as Jonas Valančiūnas.”

The NBA insider added that if Rob Pelinka couldn't give LeBron James that kind of support, the superstar would push for a max deal.

The 2024 offseason has been a busy period for the LA Lakers. "King James" and Rich Paul have them running around on a string.