Ok, hear me out for a second. Putting it straight-forward, what if the Miami Heat and superstar LeBron James reunited? What if his son Bronny James was drafted by the Heat?
I get the hesitation, but allow me to explain why LeBron James in Miami could help the team achieve championship aspirations and why selecting Bronny wouldn't be a bad choice as most think he would be. With the season ending Wednesday night by the hands of the Boston Celtics, the off-season is going to be as integral as ever and this move could be at the forefront.
Everybody and their mother knows at this point that James has said in the past (specifically in January of 2023) that before he retires, he wants to play with his son.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy, I got to be on the floor with Bronny,” James said. “Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him. I don't mean like [guarding one another all game] — because he's a point guard and I'm a, at this point now I'm playing center or whatever the team needs from me,” James said. “But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure.”
“I ask him what are his aspirations, and he says he wants to play in the NBA,” James continued. “So, if he wants do to it, he's got to put in the work. I'm here already, so, I'm just waiting on him.”
Heat have possibly scouted Bronny?
This prompted for immense speculation that any team that drafted Bronny, would just automatically get James. Fast forward to early April of 2024, his eldest son has played 25 games for the USC Trojans and has decided to enter the transfer portal and declare for the NBA Draft.
Bronny James has taken his fair share of criticism for this decision and it remains to be seen if he will go through with it and put his name in to be drated or transfer to another school where he will play more minutes. It is also important to mention that he suffered from cardiac arrest in July of 2023.
So what's the likelihood of him joining Miami? While it is currently unknown, there is no doubt that they have been doing their due diligence and even have scouted James according to Brian Windhorst who was on the “Locked on Heat” podcast.
“This guy that I know … sent me a video of Bronny [James] warming up, and right behind him in the first row taking notes is Adam Simon. The Heat are out there doing it.”
Bronny James already the caliber of an “NBA defender”
Besides enticing LeBron which would no doubt he a huge boost to the current Miami team even at the age of 39 (turning 40 in December), Bronny could turn into a solid player as the franchise has done for many others. Despite his lack of experience, even The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that NBA teams believe that he is “already at that caliber of an NBA defender” which would for sure entice a head coach like Erik Spoelstra who embraces that side of the ball.
“When I talk to NBA teams there's a clear consensus that as a defender he's already at that caliber of an NBA defender,” Charania said. “We know about his basketball IQ as well. Obviously great genes there. Shooting, offensive game, ball handling, I think those are all things that scouts and talented evaluators will keep an eye on as he goes through the pre-draft process.”
“I think if there's a draft to be in, though, this is the draft, by all accounts, to stay in,” Charania continued. “It's not like Bronny James is a guy that's hurting for money. This is something that I think him, Rich Paul, his agents at Klutch Sports, they're going to make sure he finds the right situation, whether that's in the first round, the second round if he does stay in this draft.”
Pat Riley open to Heat reunion with James?
The Heat likely need to make a splash on a star after a disappointing finish to this past season as the goal is to bring back championship aspirations and James could be that player to do it. This past season, James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game as even Pat Riley said back in 2021 that if a reunion was likely, he'll “put a shiny key under that mat.”
“I would leave the key under the doormat if he would call me and let me know he’s coming,” Riley said (h/t Brad Sullivan of Heat Nation). “I would do that, but I doubt very much if that key…that key's rusted now.”
“If he ever wanted to come back,” Riley continued. “Then I'll put a new shiny key under that mat.”
James went to four straight NBA Finals, winning twice in a row in his days with the Heat alongside Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and others. Maybe another one could be in the horizon?
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