“We really liked Bronny”: Suns’ Owner Wishes He had Drafted Bronny James

Bronny James getting picked by the Los Angeles Lakers was inevitable. But, only one other team had a realistic chance to acquire the former USC Trojans guard, before the 2024 NBA Draft. In a report that was released before the draft, agent Rich Paul allowed the Phoenix Suns to also have a shot at acquiring him.

The CEO of Klutch Sports Group made it extremely clear by implying that the athletic guard would switch to the Australian league if any of the remaining 28 franchises tried picking him. At that point, Bronny worked out with the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers. Recently, the Suns’ owner, Mat Ishbia, spoke about this as a missed opportunity to add a talented youngster to their squad and explained how the teenager would have been a good fit with the Suns.

While appearing on Pat McAfee’s show, Ishbia spoke about his desire to add a player of Bronny’s stature to their roster. However, there was no point in crying over spilt milk. Now that Bronny has signed a four-year deal with the California side, all Ishbia can do is wish the 19-year-old luck.

“I don’t know exactly where Bronny wanted to go. We really liked Bronny. We thought he was a good player. I know the Lakers drafted him. I hope he has a great career. He’s got a great basketball IQ, he does a lot a great things, and he’s got a lot of pressure— to be the son of one of the greatest all time… So, we thought it might be a good fit here in Phoenix…”

But making the draft would have been just the start of the journey for Bronny James. Both the Lakers and the Suns boast star-studded rosters. In either case, Bronny would’ve had to play many games in the G-League to develop and garner some much-needed experience against fellow professionals. After spending most of the 2024-2025 season in the G-League, James Jr. would’ve ultimately been called back to spend time in the NBA during the final stretch.

Time in the G-League will be extremely essential for the two-way player considering the performances that he’s putting up in the ongoing 2024 Summer League.

Bronny James has begun his NBA career on a tough note

Despite being the 55^th pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Bronny has been scrutinized as though he’s a lottery pick. The combo guard is indeed having an inefficient performance in the Summer League.

The 19-year-old has not been able to be an asset for the Los Angeles Lakers during the first five games. As the team went 0-5 to kick start the Summer League, Bronny played four games and recorded 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

However, James was instrumental in the Lakers’ 87-86 win over the Atlanta Hawks tonight. Having played 23:38 minutes, the youngster recorded 12 points and was also able to snap his streak of four games without converting a three-pointer.

Bronny also had a memorable moment during the tournament for certain off-court activities. Putting his gaming skills to test, LeBron James’ eldest son won the Call of Duty tournament. By defeating Grant Williams, Bronny took home the championship belt as well as $10,000 prize money.

There are at least two more Summer League games remaining for Bronny to redeem himself and get his morale back up. It’ll be interesting to see how the youngster approaches these contests before training camp begins.