Bronny James wasn’t thought-about a first-round decide by many individuals coming into the 2024 NBA Draft. Because it seems a few of these folks have been additionally in NBA entrance places of work.
The eldest son of LeBron James, ranked by Yahoo Sports activities’ Krysten Peek because the No. 54 prospect within the draft, went unselected within the first spherical Wednesday. It is not an enormous shock given the place the youthful James was ranked by most expertise evaluators, however there was sufficient hypothesis {that a} workforce may choose him to leverage his father that something appeared attainable.
Bronny now sits as by far the largest identify of Thursday’s second spherical, with the Los Angeles Lakers standing out as an apparent touchdown spot at No. 55 general. LeBron’s agent, Wealthy Paul, has made it very clear the 2 aren’t a bundle deal, however the Lakers have nonetheless been linked to Bronny all through the method.
Drafting Bronny and retaining LeBron, who might choose out of his contract quickly, would give the Lakers the primary on-court father-son combo in NBA historical past. The Lakers used their solely different decide of the draft at No. 17 general to take Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, presumably the largest steal of the draft.
Bronny James’ predraft course of has been uncommon
Notably, Bronny labored out just for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns earlier than the draft. The Suns do not need a decide within the second spherical — they misplaced one as a consequence of a tampering violation — however they may nonetheless conceivably commerce their method again in.
In any other case, Peek has talked about curiosity from the Toronto Raptors (No. 31), Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 37) and Dallas Mavericks (No. 58) within the 6-foot-2 combo guard.
Additional complicating the scenario is Paul saying he desires his new consumer to be chosen solely by groups prepared to supply him a assured deal. James is seen at this stage as a developmental prospect at finest, having averaged solely 4.8 factors per sport in a one-season USC profession shortened by cardiac arrest, and that would discourage groups from taking a flier on him.
It is exhausting to see a non-Lakers workforce choosing the youthful James given all these self-imposed limitations, therefore why so many individuals deal with the Lakers taking him as a foregone conclusion. Now we wait to see if a workforce desires to spoil the enjoyable.