5 Teams Desperate Enough to Reach for Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Phoenix Suns are functionally stuck: Over the second apron, lacking control on almost all of their future draft picks and coming up short on both the mid-sized salaries and sweeteners needed to trade for reliable role players.

Phoenix, for what it's worth, seems content with its position. And there are worse fates than being tied to a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Still, the Suns, who need to win big right now to justify the investment in this group, are coming off a 33-loss season and first-round exit. This roster might need reinforcing, it will just be incredibly difficult to do so.

Unless, of course, LeBron would be open to signing for dirt cheap for the chance to play with his son. It's a possibility he hasn't previously ruled out.

"My last year will be played with my son," he told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd in 2022. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

Anyone who isn't worried about money should immediately wind up on the Suns' radar, and the possibility of LeBron joining forces with Durant (not to mention Booker and Beal) sounds like basketball brilliance.

Bronny could even make his mark as a perimeter stopper early on, and given Phoenix's general lack of youth, it could be more committed to his long-term development than most teams.

Spending the No. 22 pick on the younger James is unrealistic, but the Suns could look to move back 10 or 15 spots to scoop him up and add something to their effectively nonexistent asset collection.