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LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul has weighed in on the possibility of James playing alongside his son Bronny in the NBA.
Paul poured cold water on the idea, suggesting that the fates of LeBron and Bronny are not linked in any way. Paul pointed out that if LeBron re-signing with the Lakers was contingent on them drafting Bronny, he would put pressure on the team to select Bronny with the No. 17 pick.
“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul told Jonathan Givony of ESPN on Wednesday. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he (LeBron) will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny, and LeBron doesn’t re-sign. LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”
Paul also downplayed Bronny’s lack of workouts being meaningful, arguing that he has taken a similar approach with other clients. Paul said his strategy was to only have Bronny work out for teams that are seriously interested in him.
For quite some time, it has been a lingering story that any team that drafted Bronny might have a better chance of getting LeBron to come play for them. That certainly seems to have faded, with reports earlier in the offseason leaning that way as well.
Paul may be playing for leverage in his public quotes, too. However, it does sound like he genuinely has no vested interest in getting the James family to team up.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
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King of New York: Pete Alonso breaks major Mets all-time record
Pete Alonso is now the New York Mets' all-time home run king. With his opposite-field, two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, Alonso clubbed the 253rd and 254th home runs of his Mets career, moving him into sole possession of first place on the team's all-time list. He moved two home runs ahead of the previous record-holder, Darryl Strawberry, who hit 252 home runs with the team between the 1983 and 1990 seasons. Here is a look at his record-setting home run. Later in the bottom of the sixth inning, Alonso hit his 254th home run: Along with the all-time Mets home run lead, Alonso is also the Mets' single-season home run leader with 53 home runs during the 2019 season. Strawberry congratulated Alonso on breaking his record: His home runs on Tuesday were his 27th and 28th of the season. It is a big deal for Alonso because there was some doubt this past offseason if he would have a chance to actually set this record. Even though he was close, the uncertainty around his future given his free-agent status created a lot of questions about where he would play. Ultimately, the Mets re-signed him to a two-year, $54 million contract that includes an opt-out clause following the 2025 season. That opt-out will again create some uncertainty about his future, but it is pretty clear Alonso still has a lot of power left in his bat. Whether he returns to the Mets or goes somewhere else, he will remain the franchise's greatest home run hitter for the foreseeable future. He is now on top of the record books for the single season and career.
Steelers' Potential Wide Receiver Addition Sparks Interesting Rumor He Could Still Come To Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room is in solid shape heading into the 2025 NFL season. However, not everyone is convinced of its talent up front. Of course, DK Metcalf is the star wide receiver of that group. He’s going to draw a lot of attention from defenses, but Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson will also have to step up big time in 2025 to keep the unit effective and dynamic. The Steelers are pretty much set at wide receiver, though some have speculated that a late addition of a veteran like Odell Beckham Jr. might still be possible. The idea of pairing Beckham with Aaron Rodgers has intrigued many in Pittsburgh, especially given Rodgers’ recent arrival to the team. On Tuesday, Steelers fans got a little more clarity about that potential addition when Beckham took to his own social media account to claim he is not retired, keeping alive the slim chance he could technically come to Pittsburgh. Beckham was responding to a rumor that took off on Tuesday morning. A fake account on X that claimed to be NFL insider Adam Schefter posted that Beckham announced he was officially retiring from the league. The only problem with that was the account was trolling. Beckham is cleary still focused on playing in the NFL. The Steelers could make some sort of sense for Beckham, technically. It remains to be seen just how interested General Manager Omar Khan, Head Coach Mike Tomlin, and the rest of the Steelers’ brass are in the now 32-year-old wide receiver. While the veteran presence could add depth and experience to the room, the team will have to weigh that against the development of their younger players and the salary cap implications. Either way, the Steelers appear confident in their core group as they prepare for the new season. The Steelers are likely to carry a maximum of six wide receivers on their roster. For the start of the 2024 season, they kept just five wideouts. Metcalf, Wilson, Austin, Scotty Miller, and Ben Skowronek are all locks to make the roster. That leaves veteran Robert Woods likely competing with undrafted free agent Roc Taylor for the final wide receiver spot. There are some others, but Woods and Taylor should be in the front of the race. If the Steelers do have any interest in Beckham, that would shake up the battle for the last spot. Woods is probably seen by the Steelers as already an upgrade over a potential Beckham addition. For one, Woods played during the 2024 season and has been with the Steelers throughout the summer. He is further along in learning the new offense, while no one really knows what kind of shape Beckham is in now. At this point, it seems unlikely the Steelers would bring Beckham in. Steelers Could Find 1 More Veteran Target For Aaron Rodgers Before 2025 Season Still, the risk of signing Beckham would likely be minimal. There’s also the fact that Rodgers has expressed interest in playing with Beckham at some point in his career. Bringing Beckham in now could serve as a safety net depth move and add veteran presence to the locker room. If healthy, Beckham wouldn’t be a bad depth option. Though, he recorded just nine catches for 55 yards with the Miami Dolphins in the 2024 season, so it remains to be seen what he still has left to offer. The fact that Beckham still wants to play in the NFL is sort of good news for Steelers fans. It gives Khan and Tomlin another wide receiver option, should depth be tested. Steeler Nation, would you want to see Beckham play with the black and gold for the 2025 season?
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