As expected, Bronny James, the son of longtime NBA superstar LeBron James, will keep his name in the 2024 NBA draft pool, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, agent Rich Paul confirmed to Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
The deadline for NCAA early entrants who are testing the draft waters to withdraw from the pool and retain their college eligibility is 11:59 pm Eastern on Wednesday. While several players have pulled out in recent days in order to return to school, Bronny won’t be among them after having improved his draft stock at this month’s combine and a recent pro day.
Bronny, who suffered cardiac arrest last July, was eventually cleared to return to the court and suited up in 25 games for USC as a freshman. However, he averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game, with a .366/.267/.676 shooting line.
That underwhelming performance in his first college season hurt Bronny’s draft stock, but it has rebounded as of late, with Givony suggesting that the 19-year-old has risen from fringe prospect to draftable prospect. The 6’2″ guard now ranks 54th overall on ESPN’s big board after displaying his explosiveness and an improved three-point shot during the pre-draft process.
Although LeBron has previously expressed a desire to play with his son, Paul has repeatedly stressed in recent weeks that the primary goal is to get Bronny into the best possible developmental situation, not on the same roster as his father. The veteran agent has also stated that the younger James won’t sign a two-way contract.
“The Lakers need to look at Bronny like everyone else,” Paul told ESPN. “If they value him enough and he’s there, that’s great. If it’s not the Lakers, that’s great. I won’t be mad if it’s not. It’s obvious that people hear the conversation around the dad and son playing together, but that’s not our focus. If it happens organically, great. I’m not building on that.
“I’m not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He’s far from a finished product. But he has a hell of start. He’s positioned well. … I don’t see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn’t make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that’s fine.”
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last week that at least 10 teams have invited Bronny to participate in private pre-draft workouts, but Paul is expected to pass on a number of those invites — the Lakers and Suns are the only teams confirmed to have secured workouts with his client. Phoenix holds the No. 22 pick in next month’s draft, while L.A. will pick at No. 55 and possibly No. 17 as well, if the Pelicans opt to defer the Lakers’ first-rounder they control until 2025.
Paul told ESPN that he’s still in the process of figuring out whose interest is real and whose isn’t as he considers potential workouts for Bronny.
Someone’s going to blow a pick on this kid cuz of his namesake. Nothing against Bronny, if his last name was Smith or whatever he would not be on people’s radar. He’s not ready yet!
LBJ will pressure the front office to use that 2nd round pick on Bronny. No one else will spend a pick on him because he hasn’t earned it and fear of blowback from Rich Paul
Look, I’m not a LeBron fan, but I want to give Bronny a chance unlike most people. I use the Ball’s as an example. Lavar was obnoxious, and as such, people poo-poo’d all over Lonzo. Injuries derailed Lonzo’s career, but before they did, he had won most people over through how hard he worked to improve his skills and his leadership abilities.
The kid was the 4th best kid on his high school team & 4th best on his college team. All he has proved is that when he is on the court by himself he can jump high & make a few shots
There are a lot of guys who were first on their team that don’t make it or have a career-ending injury before they hit the stage. Ultimately there are parts of life that just come down to luck.
Where is the 2nd oldest Ball kid right now?
Remember when he could not hack it in NBA preseason camps and needed his younger brother to get him an invite in Charlotte?
Bronny is not good enough and probably will never be good enough. He should have transferred to a college team with a solid coach, like say UConn, and worked on his game, gone to Europe or Australia and then came into the League as an unrestricted FA if he ever gets good enough.
But I know you’re not very good at doing surgery. But I would like to hire you and give you a chance.
Comparing playing professional basketball to surgery says more about you and those 5 braincells bumbling around in your noggin than it does about Bronny James lol
he knows the lakers will draft him with their first round pick.
LeBust
What a bogus show. They are making a mockery of the draft and total disrespect for other athletes. Why not stay, develop, and prove in college? Why opt out of 2 way contract?? And he’s too good for GLeague??
Then, why even play sports?? Respect the pureness of sports. Respect Fair Play. Respect the competition. Btw, did he really have that heart issues??
“They are making a mockery of the draft”
The Bronny stuff is a circus but let’s not act like the NBA draft is a vaunted institution. Teams draft all sorts of players in the second round that probably don’t deserve it. Sometimes teams even do it in the lottery, like my Knicks with Frederic Weis.
I love the “they’re doing this” take. Who?? Every team in the NBA has come together to ensure LeBrons son gets drafted? Every GM in the league would rather risk their jobs and financial stability to appease someone who has never and will never play for them? Just because what? LeBron bad? Rich Paul must have dirt on every owner right? Thats why LeBron gets everything he wants! God you people get dumber by the hour.
So a fringe prospect is refusing to meet with most teams, his agent is desperately trying to convince teams not to draft him, and now he’s forgone his chance to go back to college. What’s going to happen is some random team is going to use their pick on him and ruin lebrons plan to get his kid in LA with him. I hope people aren’t falling for the games being played.
Celtics have the 53 pick i believe, Lakers have the 54th pick. Or something like that.
Boston should draft Bronny, then stash him in Maine. Lebron can pound sand.
I think that might be a solid lesson for Bronny. IF he is good enough, he will work out, if not Lebron can cry in LA while Bronny is sitting in Maine.
Boston does not care what Rich Paul thinks, Paul burned the Celtic bridge with AD.
Problem is Brad knows that Bronny is not good enough and wont waste a pick when he can get a draft and stash player.
Obviously, this is pure fantasy, but I can dream.
I like the way you think.
NBA is about to turn into a outcry. There is no order. The draft is like free agency now that is why there is so many flops. I know these executive like to sell jerseys but real players like to see basketball play to the best not wow he hit a shot. These overseas players are taking over because American players are making a mockery out of college basketball which will be worse in the future with all this transferring after one year there is no resolution all over the root of all evil.
Even. Even if he gets in the NBA. My guess is not by the draft. There are too many other players in those 2 rounds that are better than him. He’s a novelty that will eventually wear off when the dew dries. This is a major problem if LeMe gets his way and gets on the Lakers. What if he doesn’t start? What if he doesn’t get the chance to shoot? Remember LeMe is a ball hog so pitty the other players that touch the ball. The Lakers are better off trading LeMe before the pouting starts.
If Thanasis Antetokounmpoo is in the NBA why Not Bronny James?
Because the bucks want to keep Giannis happy. LeBron is old and not worth wasting a draft pick on his mediocre son. LeBron doesn’t have that much leverage because he wants to stay in LA.
if it’s not bad enough that the Lakers waste a pick to make daddy happy, LeBron will probably force team to give the kid playing time with Daddy b/c fulfilling LeBron dreams and fantasies will be more important than winning.
Bronny couldn’t cut it at USC.
I’d love to know how long it would take you to recover from YOUR HEART CEASING TO BEAT
Then he probably should not be in the NBA…right?
When they play in orlando I’ll buy a ticket just so I can yell deI hire
comp- gp2. ceiling? scottie2. floor?
I feel bad for the kid. I imagine he’s just trying to please Dad. Any NBA career he was ever going to have was always going to be played in his father’s shadow. It didn’t have to start off by him rushing into the league so his Dad can check off at item off his bucket list by playing on an NBA team with his son.
You haven’t heard Bronny talk once. Or LeBron for that matter if you think LeBron is making him play ball. I dont understand the Bron hate and I understand even less these wild statements pulled directly from your rear and vomited on message boards as if they well established facts.
It is going to be pretty sad if he can’t develop in the 1-2 years that Sr will be in the league. Unless Lebron Sr buys a team and has a say, I think Bronny will just be cut if he is not good.
This draft has to be really underwhelming for his stats to cut it as a 2nd rounder…
It took Bronny James to get you to realize that this class is historically bad?
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