The Lakers have drafted All-NBA Los Angeles forward LeBron James‘ son, Bronny James, with the No. 55 pick out of USC.
Bronny James served as a backup combo guard on a middling Trojans team in 2023/24. USC finished with a 15-18 record and missed the NCAA Tournament, with former head coach Andy Enfield departing for SMU in the offseason.
Across his 25 healthy contests last season, the 6’4″ guard averaged just 4.8 points on .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, along with 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals a game. His season got off to a late start because he needed to be cleared after suffering cardiac arrest last July.
Isaiah Collier, who started ahead of James and had been considered a possible lottery prospect heading into 2023/24, fell to the Jazz with the No. 29 pick on Wednesday night.
James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, was apparently contacting rival clubs during the draft to dissuade them from selecting Bronny prior to the Lakers’ pick. According to Bob Myers of ESPN (Twitter video link), Paul informed other teams that, if drafted ahead of Los Angeles’ pick, Bronny would explore pro opportunities with the NBL in Australia.
Now, Bronny James join a revamped Lakers team – coached by former NBA-sharpshooter-turned-analyst-and-podcaster J.J. Redick – that is angling for an extended playoff run in the West. How many minutes the younger James will earn as likely a deep-bench reserve remains to be seen. LeBron has been vocal in the past about hoping to play alongside his son, and the second they step foot on the floor together, it will be the first time in league history that a father-son duo has achieved that feat.
LeBron James has a $51.4MM player option to return to L.A. next season. With his former podcast co-host coaching the team and his son now joining the team’s roster, it seems like to help the Lakers’ cause.
Prepare for the comment section to explode in 3..2..1
Just admit that LBJ and Rich Paul have always been running the team.
Start preparing for the parade lol
Plot twist – Lebron signs with another team in free agency because the Lakers wasted the #55 overall pick on player who doesn’t have the skill to play in the NBA.
Nepotism at its finest…
Half the time late 2nd round picks never make the NBA. Nepotism is OG Anunoby’s agent being the Knicks GM’s son that nobody bats an eye at
Or the Knicks coincidentally hiring Jalen Brunson’s dad right before he hits free agency.
That is not nepotism just an advantage.
Bronny is not an NBA player but he is getting a chance because his dad.
OG and Brunson are legit proven guys and were going to get paid regardless. NYK had the family ties advantage.
I hate to break this to you but most late 2nd round picks are not NBA players.
Tell that to 3x MVP Nikola Jokic
Bronny isn’t his father. He may never make an all-star team. He could absolutely grow into a solid NBA contributor, though. If people didn’t have an irrational amount of hate for LeBron, nobody would be crushing this pick.
“Irrational hate”
It’s not irrational. He comes to a team, puts them in bad situations financially and draft wise, then leaves for green pastures once the window for contention is closing.
In terms of all time greats he may have counting stats but his management of adversity majority of his career sticking out bad situations drops him significantly down the list considering the amount of times he’s given up and bailed.
It’s the giving up and bailing that rubs people the wrong way and rightfully so considering it his demands that got teams in bad situations draft wise and financially.
“He comes to a team, puts them in bad situations financially and draft wise, then leaves for green pastures once the window for contention is closing.”
You’re leaving out the part where HE WINS THEM CHAMPIONSHIPS. Every team he is ever on immediately becomes a legit title contender. The fact that you’re leaving out the most important thing every team is going for makes your hatred irrational. A rational person would consider all of his success along with the bad parts. You are just pumping hatred. I don’t even like Lebron but you’re being ridiculous.
“He wins them championships”
Miami it took James Wade and Bosh. He didn’t win them championship. Wade won 2 well before he got there. It took 2 other HOF caliber talents to get those.
He came back to Cleveland after they got Irving and demanded a Love trade. Again he didn’t win them anything. Again 2 other HOF caliber talents required and a historic collapse by the warriors up 3-1.
Same with lakers. Got there demanded AD trade and others to bring in players to carry him. Lebron couldn’t carry Lonzo Ingram Kuzma etc.
People act like lebron carried these teams lmao. He didn’t. He went to destinations that had the ability to put together a dream team around him to carry him and when the window closed he left them in bad situations on to the next team to carry him.
Lebron doesn’t win anything without Bosh, Wade, Iriving, Love, AD, not really a top 5 or top 3 goat when you’re constantly changing teams to carry you to titles. Tm
lmao, he wins a championship on three different teams and was the best player on all of them but that’s still not good enough in your eyes. Give me a break. You are just being a hater.
“Lebron doesn’t win anything without Bosh, Wade, Iriving, Love, AD, not really a top 5 or top 3 goat when you’re constantly changing teams to carry you to titles.”
Jordan doesn’t win without Pippen and Phil Jackson. Magic doesn’t win his amazing supporting cast. Same with Bird. Duncan doesn’t win without Parker and Manu. Shaq and Kobe. etc.
Lebron is number 2 behind Jordan all time. You can make an argument for maybe one or two others (like Russell or Wilt) but to say Lebron is not a “top 5 or top 3 goat” shows you are not serious about discussing basketball. The man made nine straight NBA Finals. Just stop. You’re embarrassing yourself.
Facts hurt. Sorry to burst your bubble
Bosh Wade and another star besides Lebron still wins championships in Miami
Irving Love and another star in Cleveland still probably wins that championship if Warriors blow the 3-1 lead.
You replace LeBron in LA with another star they still manage to get it done with AD. Even more so if that star can play defense.
We’ve seen Lebron carry teams. Couldn’t get it done. He needed to be carried by other HOFs and good/great role players.
Point of being an all time great is without you your team may not win the ships. 3 different teams 3 different rosters you replace LeBron with another “star” not even all time great level just “star” level they still manage to get it done.
Jordan, Johnson, Bird and others who are all time greats you remove them and replace them with a “star” it drastically changes those ships being won. Not Lebron.
Again facts hurt.
Lebron is an all time counting stat player. But going from destination to destination to get other talents around you and putting teams in bad places financially and draft pick wise so they can carry you to a ship drops him down the list of all time great. Possibly outside top 10.
that’s not nepotism. bronny is nepotism
ROFLMAO this was a massive reach
55?
At that point in the NBA Draft, there’s no such thing as a reach.
Its great the Lakers have to have this guy who doesnt really help them and therefore will cause them to lose games, just by virtue of not being the best possible guy to have on the roster!
Only way he hurts the team if he plays on the court when he is not ready to be a NBA player. He should start out in the G league and learn to play team ball.
Hey so GSW decided a random depth SG was more important to have than Quinten Post, a 7 footer.
I would do ANYTHING to make GSW’s brains trust to start focusing on bigs. Kerr is just going to run 4-smalls lineups that get destroyed again.
Your takes are extremely tired.
Post is a work in progress. He vis somebody that gets stashed away in G league and see if he improves.
WAIT, GSW actually bought that pick back, and we have Post now??! What a confusing deal! I retract my prior statement, am very happy we got a 7 footer finally!!
But will Kerr play him? He’s taller than 6-5 you know ………
Bronny james on or off the Lakers roster has no effect on their title chances. LeBron is another story Davey J. Much more than jj Reddick also .
As a Warriors fan, I know championship teams are the ones who have the most depth – the KD+Klay/injury GSW losing to a stacked TOR roster proved that once and for all, depth will always beat top-heavy/bad-depth teams. Pretty much all champion teams have very strong players at 8-12, GSW had this in ’22. This middling Lakers team needs all the depth they can get, so yes, and not trying to be argumentative here, but my point is still valid, Bronny taking up a spot hurts the Lakers.
Depth don’t go to the 13th guy on the bench David. Your warriors have more issues than the Lakers in my opinion,starting with a roster of aging pieces, missing pieces, redundant pieces and that coach.
Also depth had nothing to do with KD tearing his Achilles and Klay his ACL lol
Where’s OG ?????
Knick I give you the prop.
As opposed to the 99% of every other late 2nd round picks in NBA history that never make an impact
Say what you want, pretty cool moment for father and son.
and the Lakers will be just as relevant as those Mariners teams with the Griffeys on them!
Bro it’s the 55 pick in the draft. Teams consistent sell picks in this range for cash. He is just as likely to succeed as any other player taken in this range. Just because you hate lebron and the lakers doesn’t mean this can’t be a cool moment.
Yeah sure, its “fun”, but Lebron still doesn’t have more rings than Curry and should be about trying to win! 4-6 on his head for life…
4-6 in the Finals is better than 4-2 in the Finals goofy
4-6 is a 40% winning percentage
4-2 is an 67% winning percentage
Goofy? That’s you.
Curry wasn’t even the best player on his team for two of those and he wouldn’t have gotten the first one if Kyrie and Love weren’t hurt. We get it you’re a dubs fan but stop playing like curry is a better player than lebron.
Injuries are a part of the game. Get over it. The first ring counts.
If KD and Thompson weren’t injured in the 2019 finals, Curry would have five rings but not a lot of people bring that up.
Lakers in 2020 won against an injured Heat team. Bam and Dragic were injured but you don’t seem to bring that up.
There are many such examples.
Making the Finals >>> Not making the Finals
Anyone with a brain can figure this out
LeBron has played literally twice as many playoff series (54-28) as Curry. Ya boy has missed the playoffs in 40% of his seasons lol
I challenge you to find any single 55th pick in the draft in NBA history that significantly affected winning as a Rookie. The best 55th pick in the draft in the last 20 years has been Patty Mills. As a rookie Mills average 2.6 points per game. If you want to argue lebron should leave or the lakers should make significant trades in order to win fine. But cut the bull crap that taking Bronny at 55 effects the teams ability to win or his legacy.
Its not “taking Bronny at 55” its about giving Bronny a roster space at all. Lakers should have traded that pick and gotten a veteran who can outplay Bronny if they were serious about winning. You obviously don’t know much about winning if you are arguing against this…
I would be willing to bet you can’t name the 10-12 players on any team other than Golden State and the Lakers. No team plays more than 7-8 players in the playoffs anyway. The 55th pick in the draft and the 10th-12th guys on the bench have basically 0 to do with winning. Seriously quit making up bull s**t reasons why this is a bad move other than you don’t like lakers and lebron.
Davey J, your takes are wrong. Bronny has the tools to contribute as a roleplayer. If he wasn’t LeBron’s son, nobody would say a word about the selection or the roster spot. People are only trashing the guy’s skills because they have an irrational hatred for his father.
Since you brought it up, what type of veteran do you really believe you’re getting for the 55th pick in a trade? Now ask yourself, honestly, if that guy contributes more to winning than LeBron James and Bronny would? I’m not saying LBJ would surely have left if the Lakers didn’t take Bronny, but they eliminated the only reason he might have.
Manu ginobli(57th pick)
Manu was 7.5 points 2 Rebs 2 assists. Players picked that late don’t contribute to winning as rookies which was the entire point I was making.
Manu is a bad example for your point. In that same season he played all 24 games and averaged 27.5 mpg in the post season. He contributed greatly to winning as a rookie, the Spurs beat the Nets 4-2 and won a championship.
Manu was drafted late solely because it took him 4 years to come over. He is obviously the exception, not the rule for players drafted in the late-50s.
I agree with his point, but Mana was a bad example.
It’s like Bill Veeck hiring that midget, Eddie Gaddell, to take an at bat in an MLB game. A publicity stunt.
Ill bite…”He is just as likely to succeed as any other player taken in this range.”
How so?
He barely started in Div 1. So wouldn’t every other guy who could start at D1 be a much better prospect?
Bronny is a bad NBA prospect, he will not succeed and this pick is a wasted pick for Lebron’s ego AND I will bet a lot Bronny causes issues this season for the Lakers.
I am sure Dalton Knecht loves being upstaged by a guy who could not even stay on the floor with him in NCAA. I am sure DK’s agent is really happy that the Lakers are about to treat the 55th pick like he was the #1 pick overall. I wonder what happens if the Lakers require DK to go to the G league, but the Lakers keep Bronny on the bench?
I disagree Bronny was a dumb, DUMB, pick that shows just how poor the Lakers front office and their situation truly is.
Lakers will not make the playoffs this season. Bank it.
I’m definitely here for the comments.
Wasted pick
Most back end 2nd rounders are. You need to go back 15 years to find any player drafted 55 or worse who has made any kind of impact (Isiah Thomas). Paul Reed is probably the second best. There’s almost literally no one else since Thomas drafted this late who has done anything.
If you go back 25 years Manu Was picked 57th, he’s about only player I can think of taken in the range where Bronny was drafted to have lasting impact.
Right on, Chuck. All of these late 2nds are just long odds lottery tickets and draft and stash players. Occasionally you get a nepo pick like Bronny or Thanasis Antetokounmpo (51st pick) or Kostas Antetokounmpo (60th pick). It doesn’t really matter.
Well if you draft a guy who cannot start on most D1 Big Boy teams like UConn, Duke and Carolina, you really are assisting in making that statement about late 2nd rounders true.
Bronny is not an NBA prospect, he is a PR attempt by Clutch Sports.
Kid wouldn’t have been drafted if not for Bron Bron. Gonna be fun watching him stink up the league
Don’t blink or fall, falling soldier,you might miss bronnys brief stinky stints next season.
Worst player to ever be drafted?
There are plenty worse
Slavko Vranes
link to basketball-reference.com
Frederic Weis
Looks like nobody wanted him since he fell to #55. Now he has a lot of work cut out for him in the G league to prove he wasn’t picked because of his dad.
Let’s see if the declining of g league was a bluff. He really needs to be on a 2 way.
Looks like you were wrong about him getting picked in the first round. Odd you even considered that
I was right about Eddy being in top 10. Sounds like all those teams were bluffing when they praised Bronny. There were reports 3 different teams were high on Bronny but none of them picked them in 2nd round. Unfortunately we will see the circus around the Lakers when he plays his 1st game with the Lakers. It also came out Rich Paul told teams if they picked Bronny he would play over seas.
Aww, the Celtics passed on him with the pick before that one. That could have been surreal.
No s**t, call Rich Paul’s bluff and send him to Australia lol.
ABA team in Australia maybe.
Rich Paul is a scumbag
Unlike the Lakers the Celtics are trying to win Championships and they have no need for a small, non-PG, who cannot handle the ball, cannot shoot from outside and will be hunted repeatedly on defense because he is small.
Wow this was a complete surprise…Out of nowhere….Nobody saw this coming at all!!
Acting like there was another player at 55 that wasn’t also gonna be a @g league player” or “wasted pick” is weird. ♂️
It’s not like they took the kid 17th
The media is going to eat this kid alive. LeBron did his son no favors with this nonsense, all for the selfish reason of wanting to play with him vs doing what’s best for his future. Most would call that bad parenting.
I mean you may not be wrong but…
you came to a basketball site to call out bad parenting?
Apparently!
That “bad parenting” just got him drafted into the NBA. I think he’ll fail but come on any one of us would take that if possible
Ahh yes, because the topic has nothing to do with the current subject matter, right?
Nice try.
If he does not develop by the time Senior is done they are going to cut him. Senior will buy him 2-3 years.
Guys selected 55 overall rarely become productive players, so why not make your star player happy drafting his son? Hate all you want, there has been worse picks. I’m also no Queen James supporter, so take that as you will.
in one of the weakest drafts in nba history bronny was still the 55th pick. i respect it but lets be fr
The fact 90 percent of you are all wound up about this says a lot more about you, than it does the situation.
I can’t stand the Lakers, but this is a super smart financial move. All eyes on L.A. Even though they’re mediocre.
WOW!!! WHO SAW THAT COMING???
Everyone
How does Rich Paul get away with calling NBA teams and threatening that if they draft Bronny he will play in Australia? Commissioner is weak, and that’s why the product stinks and people aren’t watching NBA finals. Inmates are running the asylum and warden only cares about the size of the check he cashes
I know he should be suspended for doing that.
If you think Rich Paul is the first agent to do something like this. I have a bridge to sell you my friend.
There is nothing wrong, or illegal, about it. Before he was drafted, Bronny technically wasn’t even in the league. He didn’t have a contract. He could’ve gone anywhere he wanted. Australia was an option.
Would you rather they have said nothing, allowed some team to waste a selection, and then been like “nah…”?
Thanasis Antetokounmpo was the 51st pick.
Who has more NBA potential?
Thanasis can wave his towel and slap butts like it’s nobody’s business.
Thanasis by a lot.
At least he has NBA size. LebronJR is what 6’1″ and does not play PG. LOL I mean I cannot believe Lebron has gotten everyone to believe a guy who was not even the 3rd best player on USC, YES USC, not Duke, not UConn, not UNC or even Arizona…USC.
USC, the football school that has no history of BBall dominance, sorry White Mamba, USC.
That is pure PR and Clutch. The 4th guy from USC got drafted because of his dad.
Just the fact that his agent told possible teams interested in drafting him that he’d go overseas is enough said . Riding on his father’s coattails will only get him so far . Kid couldn’t play college ball let alone nba ball. Can’t wait to watch him get chewed up and spit out hawk tuah style!
How sweet I’m going to throw up. Once again LBJ gets what he wants. Someone else should have taken a chance on him like my Knicks
They will only play him garbage time against the other team’s third unit. They wont play him against Steph or Dame. Imagine them sending brony to the ground with a crossover. It would be international meme
Did anyone who isn’t completely clueless think this wasn’t going on the whole time? Rich Paul runs the NBA and LeBron gets his way.
Was there ever any doubt this was happening…
AD may of had more voice in the coaching decision… At least that’s what the paid for perception was…
But James was always going to get his son on his team…
Pretty much anyone available at 55 or later is also available as a free agent. I assume they’ll add another player or 2 tonight.
Changing the team name from Lakers to Nepo Babies?
Ya know what, I would love for this kid to prove every one of us keyboard heroes wrong! I am a skeptic too, good luck Bronny. Play with a chip on your shoulder!
I’m with you, chance are the kid won’t make it but taken at 55th what’s the harm? I hope this kid has a solid career.
My take. Why would Silver be against this? Regardless of how Rich Paul handled this, it draws more attention to the NBA (more viewership, more ad revenue, …). It’s a good story. I think of it like the Taylor Swift factor. Yeah, real fans hate it but it does draw more viewership. Made sense for the Lakers to do this. Seems pretty clear they want to keep Lebron for as long as he will stay.
Imagine if LeBron leaves la but stayed so his kid had a job lmao fr congrats to the James family
BronGM strikes again.
Read a story where Paul told all teams not to draft him. Cause he wouldn’t sign. Leaving him for LA.
First nobody wants him. He’s not ready imo. Not even healthy imo. He should value his health more than playing. I don’t care where he plays. Rather see him live a long time. Paul is an ares….. I’m tired of his nonsense.
I’m just waiting for the day Bron gets a team. Then he and Paul can muck it up worse than MJ.
So if no team wanted him why do you care that Paul told teams he didn’t want to play for them? Seems like crying just to taste your own tears
Every father or mother wants their child to do well in life. Why not follow the family business. That’s why you build it. For your children ……
So stop the BS. It’s only a reflection of you.
Works both ways As Jeannie Buss once said after her dad’s passing… overseeing the Lakers is a “public trust.” What has she done other than embarrass herself and the organization, and her father. Sleeps with the coachs, airs dirty laundry with her brother in public, ejects Jerry West, hires the Rambi to help run the team, multiple coaching hires, and allows LeBron to dictate decision making. Good grief. It’s almost like she’s tried to mess up.
To be fair, she slept with the Coach before she was primary owner and President of BBall operations. He is not the coach now.
How ironic that a Knicks fan is crying about nepotism
He’s actually *not* crying about nepotism. He’s saying good for Bronny and Lebron.
he’s 6′ 4″ now?
The funny thing about this draft …… the no.55 pick was a lock, unlike that 1st overall pick.
Such strong opinions from people who couldn’t name someone the Lakers should have taken at 55. Even if he doesn’t play he has 10x value of anyone else on the board. They’ll sell Bronny jerseys tomorrow and make more from that than they will from Knecht merch for the next 3 years. Lakers are printing money
nepotism is never a good look.
I wonder if Bronny will have more of an impact on the floor than Dalton Knetcht, but yeah the Lakers will make money, in Los Angeles…film at 11.
A win for the lakers org… more people intrigued by this >$$$$ regardless if he can play or not. Genius but
Can the site PIN this thread, so it stays on top.
I would not want to play with my father. That’s going to be very awkward in the locker room at times.
Why didn’t anyone draft him especially the Cali teams and tell the Lakers hey you wanna make LeBron happy give us a first.instead they all caved and let the Lakers off the hook.also who cares about 2nd round picks anyways you can buy them off teams if you really want to.