Rich Paul lists 3 under-the-radar teams interested in Bronny James on guaranteed deal

We have never seen a projected second-round NBA Draft pick under more intense scrutiny than Bronny James. The USC freshman has had his every move monitored by the national media, with a fixation on his unconventional decision to only work out for two teams. The two teams he granted workouts to — the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns — certainly didn't help silence the roar of speculation.

Years ago, LeBron James told reporters that he wants to play with his son in the NBA. Bronny and his camp have denied any mandate to achieve that goal, but when James Jr. is in the Lakers' training facility running drills, it naturally raises eyebrows.

There has been a fairly universal belief that Bronny will end up with the Lakers as the No. 55 pick. His father is expected to re-sign on a max contract in free agency, pairing dad and kid for the first time in league history. It's a great story, the perfect way to find new meaning in the twilight years of LeBron's historic career.

But, in a recent interview with ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Rich Paul made sure to clarify the nature of Bronny's pre-draft approach. He is not, in fact, a package with his father. Klutch at leasts wants to project a clear line of separation between LeBron and Bronny. It's up to you to decide whether you believe that line exists, but Paul says Bronny landing with LA does not automatically mean LeBron re-signs. He also says James Sr. will not follow Bronny to Phoenix on a minimum contract.

Even more than that, Paul lists multiple interested suitors who simply did not schedule a workout with the 19-year-old combo guard. Apparently, Bronny has fans all across the NBA.

"There are other teams that love Bronny. For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it's not the Lakers, it will be someone else. Minnesota would love to get Bronny in, but I don't know who their owner is going to be. [Mavs GM] Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers don't take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and give him a guaranteed deal. Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president,] loves him. They could take him without even seeing him at 31. Workouts aren't everything for these teams."

Rich Paul claims Mavericks, Timberwolves, Raptors are interested in Bronny James

It is, well, uncommon for agents to publicly list teams interested in their clients. He claims that Bronny does not get special treatment, but how many interviews divulge private team interest like this? Dallas, Minnesota, and Toronto all lost leverage with Paul's statement. Toronto (No. 31) and Minnesota (No. 37) both pick before Los Angeles (No. 55) in the second round, while the Mavs own the last pick in the draft (No. 58).

Paul made sure to lay out his strategy in no uncertain terms. He wanted to identify teams with real interest in Bronny, then steer his client in that direction. The implication is that Los Angeles and Phoenix would definitely give the 6-foot-3 defensive whiz a guaranteed contract. Paul said there was "nothing to talk about" with teams interested in giving Bronny a two-way deal, citing the challenges of developing under those circumstances.

To his credit, Paul has deployed a similar strategy in the past, landing guaranteed contracts in the second round for Brandon Boston Jr., Chris Livington, and Talen Horton-Tucker. Bronny might fall into the 50s, but he is in line for a standard NBA deal out of the gate. That does encourage development, especially if Paul can work out a favorable guarantee structure. If Bronny is occupying a roster spot, his team might as well invest the necessary resources to make him a viable rotation piece.

It's still probably the Lakers in the end. It feels fated. But, we cannot count out an alternative outcome. Is Masai Ujiri really does "love" Bronny, or if Nico Harrison wants to employ his nephew-in-spirit, maybe we get a surprise.