The potential Bronny James-LeBron James pairing is one step nearer to turning into a actuality.
The 19-year-old Bronny is staying within the 2024 NBA Draft as an alternative of returning to varsity, finalizing his choice earlier than Wednesday’s 11:59 p.m. ET deadline, his agent Wealthy Paul advised ESPN.
All eyes at the moment are on whether or not Bronny and his father will land on the identical staff.
“Bronny’s [draft] vary is vast,” Paul just lately advised ESPN. “He’s a very good prospect who has lots of room for development. It solely takes one staff. I don’t care the place that staff is — it may be No. 1 or 58 — [but] I do care in regards to the plan, the event. The staff’s technique, the chance and the monetary dedication. That’s why I’m not doing a two-way deal. Each staff understands that.”
It had been a foregone conclusion that Bronny would keep within the NBA Draft after declaring earlier this yr, even when he had underwhelming collegiate numbers.
Bronny averaged 4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists whereas capturing 36.6 %, together with 26.7 % from deep, for a horrible USC staff that completed 15-18 this previous season.
Groups could also be extra prepared to draft Bronny — who earned stable evaluations from the NBA Mix — because of the potential of it luring his father, the league’s all-time main scorer.
LeBron has a $51.4 million participant choice with the Lakers for the 2024-25 season and has stated he want to play together with his son earlier than he retires.
“The Lakers want to take a look at Bronny like everybody else,” Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports activities, advised ESPN. “In the event that they worth him sufficient and he’s there, that’s nice. If it’s not the Lakers, that’s nice. I gained’t be mad if it’s not. It’s apparent that folks hear the dialog across the dad and son taking part in collectively, however that’s not our focus. If it occurs organically, nice. I’m not constructing on that.
“I’m not placing unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He’s removed from a completed product. However he has a hell of begin. He’s positioned effectively. … I don’t see him not getting drafted, but when it bought to a degree the place the conditions didn’t make sense and we would have liked to go undrafted, that’s wonderful.”
Loads of reviews have projected him to be chosen by the Lakers with the fifty fifth choose, though some bettors have flocked markets to guess on Bronny going No. 1 total.
It seems Bronny is hoping to move to both Hollywood or the desert, as The Athletic reported that the Lakers and the Suns are on the brief record of groups he’s prepared to work out for earlier than the draft, which begins on June 26.
Phoenix holds the No. 22 choose.
“We’re nonetheless figuring it out,” Paul advised ESPN. “Many groups have known as. It’s a matter of hashing out exercises and determining who’s actual and who isn’t. There are solely two or three groups which may take him. That’s how I’m going to strategy that.”
Paul has already advised groups that Bronny “completely” won’t signal a two-way contract, that means he’ll be holding out for a assured contract.
Bronny was medically cleared by the NBA’s Health to Play Panel earlier this yr following the previous top-50 prospect struggling cardiac arrest throughout a exercise at USC final summer time.
