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Rich Paul says Bronny James will not sign two-way NBA contract: 'Teams know that. I'm not doing that'

James is expected to be a second-round pick in June's NBA Draft

sean leahy
Contributing writer
·2 min read
1.3k

Don't expect Bronny James to be rostered in both of the NBA's leagues next season, says his agent, Rich Paul.

In an interview with Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Paul said he will not allow his client to sign a two-way contract:

"Yes, that's absolutely true," Paul said. "Teams know that. I'm not doing that."

Each NBA roster has up to three spots for players who sign two-way contracts. Players on two-way contracts are paid the same whether they are in the NBA or the G League and can be active for up to 50 games with their NBA teams.

In April, the 19-year-old James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, declared for the NBA Draft. He is expected to remain available and not return for his sophomore collegiate season after he was medically cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel after experiencing cardiac arrest during a workout last July.

Bronny's' draft stock has him pegged to be selected some time in the second round. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Phoenix Suns, whose sole pick is 22nd overall, will hold a workout for Bronny next week.

Despite numerous invites, Bronny is expected to only work out for a few teams, including the Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.

Where Bronny is drafted has led to speculation that his father, who has a June 29 player option deadline, could follow him. And while LeBron may or may not want to leave the Lakers to play with his son, Paul is focused on Bronny's immediate future.

"If it aligns where he can play with his dad, great," Paul told Haynes. "Am I necessarily focused on that? No, not at all. I'm focused on a team-plan investment and a seriousness as it pertains to fit and opportunity.

"We know that there's gonna be some development necessary, but what does that actually look like? The teams I've talked to know exactly where I stand. I'm not going to bulls**t around in this process. We're going to execute our plan."