The Utah Jazz may have eyes for LeBron and Bronny James
By Chad Porto
The Utah Jazz's big game hunting may just involve the most popular and well-known basketball in the world currently. That man, LeBron James, is mostly a pipe dream for a team like Utah, as they're not exactly a well-known hotspot for celebrities and the like. James is someone who is motivated to do things beyond basketball, and places like New York and Los Angeles make that easier for him.
Not only that, but as James nears 40, he's running out of time to win a title, and with the state of the Jazz currently, it's not all that surprising to assume that James wouldn't want to come to a team that isn't the best it could possibly be. They aren't missing one player, like James, they're missing four or five; including James.
So there's no reason for him to go to Salt Lake City to play basketball. Well, no reason but one, anyway. See, James has long said he wants to play with his son, Bronny James, the 6'2 guard coming out of USC. The Jazz could lure James to the team by drafting his son, and seeing what they could do by building a team around James and Lauri Markkannen. Markkannen, after all, is one of James' current favorite players. So there should be some interest in the two pairing up.
As it turns out, the Jazz are one of the teams looking at Bronny James in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, with Yahoo Sports writing;
"The Jazz have expressed interest in bringing Bronny in for an individual workout and could be interested in him with the 32nd pick, sources told Yahoo Sports. The franchise has been patiently rebuilding behind the leadership of Danny Ainge, and bringing in Bronny with the hopes of luring a superstar like LeBron could be the jump owner Ryan Smith is looking for to add a spark to the Jazz."
The move makes all the sense in the world, as long as there are some caveats in place. The James family can't be the only player that the Utah Jazz bring in. They still need someone like Devin Booker to help offset the shooting woes the Jazz have had. Not only that, but they need to re-up on Kris Dunn, keep Walker Kessler, and their Top 10 pick this year.
If the Jazz can get Stephen Castle, Dalton Knecht or Reed Sheppard, then the Jazz will have added a necessary piece to the puzzle. Trade Keyonte George and some picks for an All-Star caliber guard, and this team may be ready to compete this upcoming season for an NBA title.