Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, has been the most debated prospect in the 2024 NBA draft class. It’s a rare situation for someone who isn’t expected to receive a green room invite designated for projected lottery picks.

Meanwhile, LeBron’s name is embroiled in the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search, and his close ties to candidate JJ Redick only fuel speculation that the future Hall of Famer is involved in the process.

With Cleveland firing head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and hoping to secure a long-term commitment from Donovan Mitchell, there have been questions as to if Darius Garland would welcome a long-term backcourt partnership with Mitchell.

To discuss Bronny James, LeBron James and Garland in all candidness, their agent, Rich Paul—CEO of Klutch Sports—granted Bleacher Report an exclusive interview to dive into these matters as well as the playoffs and the league’s youth movement.

Bleacher Report: Bronny has been the most discussed player in this draft class, considering he isn’t a projected lottery pick. There are obvious reasons as to why he is a topic of conversation. How do you feel his draft status has been covered?

Rich Paul: I feel like the media has covered him in different ways, honestly. I think some of it, you just can’t get around, right? Nobody cares about your age. Nobody’s going to necessarily take it light on you for whatever reason. And that’s to be expected in addition to his government name. It just so happens that his dad is the greatest player that has ever played the game. It’s not going to be an easy road.

I think some commentary by a reporter was a little over the top, but at the end of the day, they have a job to do. I watch all the shows. And you know what, there’s some accountability to be had on our end as well. But I’m not going sit here and punish a dad for being excited about his son because for many years, the Black father was portrayed as absent and he was portrayed as non-supportive.

There may have been some expectations through social media excitement that may have raised awareness to where people want to see you fail more than they want to see you succeed. Bronny catches a lot of strays from his father’s success. But that’s all part of it.

We have to have some accountability on our end and also understand in today’s world, everyone has a voice. Bronny has done an amazing job of handling all of this.

I think the thing I’m most impressed with is his character. He could easily be the one walking around with a camera crew, the entitlement and all the trinkets. He’s not. He has a tremendous amount of self-awareness. I know for a fact that he’ll be a great teammate and he’ll continue to get better.

Is he a finished product? No, nowhere near. Most guys that come in our league aren’t at 18 and 19. If his name was different, would he get a different treatment? Yes, probably so. Some may feel like he’s getting an opportunity because of his father, and I think that’s a very naive logic, especially in America.

When you look at America as a whole, it’s built on the nepotism. No one’s having this conversation about Jim Dolan. He owns the Knicks, but his dad built a business. Same with Casey Wasserman. Lou Wasserman built a business. I got plenty of friends that come from very wealthy families whose families built a business, and when it’s their turn to take charge, they’re not sitting on the couch. They’re looking to enhance it.

What do you think is going to happen with Jeff Bezos’ kids? He built Amazon. You think they’re not going to be positioned based upon what he’s built? And none of them should be apologetic about that. The only thing you can go by is being thankful, treating people a certain way and enhancing something that you were positioned for. They shouldn’t apologize for that. And Bronny shouldn’t apologize for who his dad is.

And at the end of the day, the difference is there were businesses built that generate revenue. I think it’s hard to educate the uneducated and the unwilling to be educated on a social media platform. So, time won’t be wasted there. But I think there’s perspective to be had on sports.

Sports is a heavy opinionated platform. The difference today is everyone has a voice, and most have an agenda. Bronny’s going to always be in the eye of the storm because of that. Oftentimes, it’s not about you. It’s about them. And so there’s a lot of people that don’t like the positions they’re in themselves.

Negativity is something that oozes through the veins of people. But as far as the sports people having an opinion, they have every right to have an opinion, and they have every right to critique Bronny’s game. Under no circumstance should he get a pass because of who his father is.

If a person goes on TV and says they don’t think that he can play, they don’t think he’s a pro, that’s part of the business and it’s going to be that way for the rest of his life as long as he decides to be a professional athlete. And that’s OK.

BR: So, how do we properly evaluate and cover Bronny? He was a McDonald’s All-American with a ton of hype.

RP: Listen, when you have a cardiac arrest and come back and play a sport, it is a blessing. That’s No. 1. Again, we’re not looking for people to sympathize because of that, but facts are facts. No. 2., I’ve always thought and I continue to think Bronny is going to be a good pro, and he’s going to be a good pro because he’s extremely talented and smart.

I can give you several comparisons. I remember having Eric Bledsoe coming out. People didn’t think he was a first-round pick at first. And when he came out, he didn’t necessarily know how to play. He was talented and then he developed and became a starter in Phoenix and the rest was history. But he’ll tell you himself that he didn’t know how to play, he didn’t know how to have pace and didn’t know how to make the right reads. He was just naturally talented.

When it comes to talent, a foundation, structure, Bronny actually has had that, and he will be a glue guy on an NBA team. Maybe he can become an All-Star one day. As we all know, we’ve seen guys become All-Stars who were drafted in the second round or went undrafted. Fred VanVleet wasn’t drafted. Naz Reid was undrafted. If you’re looking for examples, there you go.

It just takes one team. Bronny’s a guy who can come in to defend, make the right read, can shoot the ball pretty well and has good athleticism. And in addition to that, when you start checking the boxes on character, that actually exceed his talent. Some players can’t be trusted with a million dollars because they change.

If you draft Bronny and give him millions of dollars, what’s going to happen? Nothing. It’s not going to change his life. We’re not looking for any type of red carpet to be rolled out or any sympathy, for that matter. We’re going to attack this and approach it in a way in which he’s going to earn his way despite what anybody thinks.

BR: Is there too much being made of LeBron and Bronny potentially playing together somewhere or even possibly with the Lakers?

RP: Well, LeBron said he wanted to play with his son. Bronny can’t do anything about that. And that’s nothing we should push back on. If he wants to play with his son, that’s that. But again, I have a job to do representing Bronny and LeBron.

LeBron’s season’s over. I’m focused on Bronny and the rest of our draft class. If it aligns where he can play with his dad, great. 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.

BR: So what would you say is a realistic draft range for Bronny?

RP: Bronny’s range has been all over. Some teams think he goes 20 to 40, some say 30-50, and some teams think he’ll go undrafted. It just takes one team. This is something I do every year during the draft process. This is not Bronny-centric. He’s a part of our draft class. I have to try to help find the right fit for all my guys as well as the right deal. So that’s how I’m looking at it.”

BR: Is it true that you wouldn’t sign Bronny to a two-way contract?

RP: Yes, that’s absolutely true. Teams know that. I’m not doing that.

BR: What involvement has LeBron James had in the Lakers’ coaching search and is he pushing for JJ Redick to become the next head coach?

RP: LeBron is not involved. That’s accurate. I think it’s hard for people to not want a narrative per se. There’s a lot of false narratives out there. There’s a lot of narratives that they feel like we drive, which I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t pay attention to that anymore. I think the people that know if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly.

But as for the coaching search, this is a Lakers decision. I always advise LeBron or anybody for that matter not to really position yourself in a manner of which you have a hand so strong in a decision that could come back to bite you down the road. With every team he’s been on as the best player, you have some type of insight or the team may ask about your thoughts.

That goes for every superstar. In my opinion, the Lakers’ focus should probably be more so on Anthony Davis than LeBron at this point. I think for him being so good for so long, people just think he controls the team. There’s no controlling of the team. And JJ is a friend. We respect JJ. I know LeBron and JJ have the podcast. I did JJ’s podcast. Me and JJ talk hoops all the time. He does know hoops. But just because they have a podcast—the Lakers have to make a decision for now and later.

And whatever that decision is, that’ll be an organizational decision. It’s as simple as that.

BR: We just had the combine, you just completed your Klutch Sports Pro Day, you have personal business affairs that require you to hop on planes, and now you’ll start scheduling your clients to work out for NBA teams in advance of the NBA draft. What is this time like for you?

Rich Paul: It is a lot happening, obviously. We’ve been able to build a globally recognized brand in which vertically we are growing it in addition to personal interest that have my attention. But my focus is on sports and this ecosystem and how we can continue to acquire, develop and grow.

Everything we have a hand in is all aligned. So, it’s nothing that would be unorganic or inauthentic to our strategy. But when you say it’s a lot, I think that’s a mindset for those that feel like you should be in a box. I don’t think about it that way. I think about it at a level of this business. I’m at a level where business is my core priority and that’s representing players in addition to other ventures.

BR: Let’s talk hoops for a minute. You have a few clients still alive in the playoffs. How much are you able to take in with all you have going on? And this season will feature a new NBA champion. The league seems to have reached a level of parity. Is this good for the league?

RP: Yes, I think it’s good. First of all, guys are now coming into the league younger and getting an opportunity to play. I’ve been around the league a long time, and I’ve been a fan of the league for over 35-plus years. Young guys used to get held back coming in. Whether it was because a coach was stuck in his ways or maybe that’s the way it’s always been.

What you’re seeing today is guys coming in and being a productive player from the jump. In the ’90s, a guy would get drafted and he’d be in street clothes for two years. It started to loosen up a little bit later on. And obviously you had the great ones, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Kevin Garnett.

I remember Jermaine O’Neal was drafted out of high school, and he was in street clothes for years in Portland. He was always going to be the player he became eventually. Indiana gave him that opportunity first, and he was a perennial All-Star, an All-NBA guy … And so I think what you’re starting to see is the consistency of young players getting the opportunity—and not only the opportunity, the consistency of play from young players having more of a responsibility. I think it’s pretty cool.

But I’m enjoying watching the conference finals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are leading the way in Boston, but they have a great team. They’ve got four-and-a-half All-Stars on the floor every night when Kristaps Porziņģis is available. What the Pacers have done under Rick Carlisle is amazing, and they’re dangerous with their style of play. That’s a team.

I know Tyrese Haliburton leads the way, but it’s equal opportunity over there, and the guys are empowered. It’s not so much about the name on the back of the jersey; it’s the Pacers.

And then you have Minnesota, who has been one of the top teams all year. Anthony Edwards was good coming in but has really taken a step forward in every aspect of his game from the way his body looks now to making his teammates better. He’s affecting the game even when he’s not shooting well. That’s growth. They have a tremendous supporting cast with Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, those two bigs, and then having a guy like Mike Conley is invaluable.

Naz Reid goes undrafted, and he’s coming off the bench every night producing. They don’t care who’s in front of them or the fact that this guy is a Hall of Famer. They’re going to do what they have to do to beat you, and that’s great for our league.

And then you have Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić dominating, but they’re still depending on a young guy like Dereck Lively, who is playing very meaningful minutes and playing the game the right way. I’m locked in on these last four teams, and I think it’s anybody’s to win.

BR: This is definitely a new set of faces being showcased in the conference finals. We’ve grown accustomed to LeBron James or Stephen Curry being front and center around this time.

RP: Look, you can’t take anything away from ‘Bron and Steph. They earned the right to be front and center. They weren’t put front and center because of their looks; they were put front and center because of their production. They won. It was Golden State and Cleveland in the finals for four straight years.

So the league needs that, but the league also needs new faces. LeBron went to eight straight finals and 10 out of 21 years, which is incredible. Steph has four rings and turned a franchise around that was in the lottery every year. You need those storylines, but you also need new storylines. That’s the balance. New rivalries will be established.

BR: I’m going to pivot a little. Cleveland just fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The franchise desperately wants to do what they can to convince Donovan Mitchell to sign an extension. There has been rumblings that if Mitchell were to extend, Darius Garland—your client—would seek a trade. Is there anything you can say on that matter?

RP: There is not much to say. I think people have their own opinions of what works and what doesn’t work. For me, I think people around the league know, and you definitely know this about me, I’m very matter of fact with my approach on everything. If there was something to be discussed, I would discuss it.

As of now, there’s nothing to discuss on that. My job is to evaluate every situation for every guy that we as a company represent. I’m a representative of players, and I help advise them on business decisions. It’s a lot more to it than just negotiating a contract after four years. Some guys choose to do that and only focus on that. I’m different. I try to look at everything.

You try to position guys a certain way to continue to have value. It’s the same way I go about the draft. I think you know that as well. I’m not really focused on certain things in terms of rankings. The league is one that is fluid. It doesn’t stop for nobody. It continues to move on.

And so these guys have to make sure they understand that having the talent they have, and the production, allows them to maintain value. That value transitions into compensation and when you sum it all up, it’s really just a good ass job and sometimes you have to protect that for as long as you can. That’s where my mindset is for all the guys. No matter if they’re a max player or a minimum guy. My job is to prepare, educate and execute for my clients.

BR: Speaking of preparing, you just finished your pro day. How do you feel it went for your soon-to-be rookies?

RP: It went really well. We have a good group this year. A couple guys are out. Rob Dillingham, who’s considered to be a top pick, was out. Terrence Shannon, who a lot of teams like as well, was out for different reasons. But it went really well.

I thought Justin Edwards really helped himself. Thought KJ Simpson from Colorado really helped himself. Oso Ighodaro from Marquette really did well. And then Bronny James really helped himself as well. Ulrich Chomche is someone that a lot of teams like, understanding there’s a plan to be positioned to help his development, and that’s what it’s about.

I think all these young guys aren’t necessarily a finished product, and it’s extremely important for them to land in spots that’s going to have a plan in place. It’s going to take investing in them. And if you can get that, no matter what number it is, that’d be extremely helpful to them and their growth.