It's good to be King. It's also good to be the King's son.
The Lakers drafted Bronny James with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, ending one of the longest-running non-drama dramas in NBA history.
The selection was not a surprise; it was widely anticipated that LeBron James would return to the Lakers on a multi-year deal this summer. With the signing of LeBron James' preferred coach and podcast partner, JJ Redick, as coach, and the drafting of Bronny James, the stage is set for the next chapter in LeBron James' illustrious career.
Still, it is a first, as LeBron James effectively leveraged his position as the Greatest of All Time in a power struggle with the world's most famous basketball franchise to get the coach he wanted, what will likely soon be the contract he wants and for them to draft his son, who may have gone undrafted otherwise.
As of last Saturday, the Lakers were +100 to draft Bronny James, with the Suns, Timberwolves and Raptors all potential options, with the latter mostly built on the possibility of one of the Suns or Lakers trading for those picks.
James is not considered to be much of a prospect. After suffering cardiac arrest last July, he went on to play 20 minutes per game in 25 games for USC, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Here's the scouting report on Bronny James from NBA Futures Analyst Brandon Anderson:
James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 37/27/68 shooting in 25 games in college. No one-and-done freshman has ever been drafted with those numbers — ever. This is not a guy who would even pop on most people’s radar without the name and media attention.
Bronny is an NBA athlete. The genes worked. He’s quick and strong, has a good leap, and the athletics check out, but his measurements do not. At just 6-foot-2, that effectively limits James to point guard, even with a good wing span, and he’s not a great passer or creator, doesn’t have a great handle, and doesn’t penetrate or attack the basket at a high level. He also had a very poor shooting season, and he’s DOA as a prospect if he can’t knock down shots at a high level.
James is a good defender, but his lack of size means he can only be so impactful on that end. His defense and effort (and name) will buy him some runway, but at some point you have to make an impact on offense to last in the league, and little about what we’ve seen so far suggests that’s coming.
Sorry, but Bronny is an NBA draft prospect by virtue of mostly his name. Period.
With Bronny James selected by the Lakers, it would be a shocking turn of events if LeBron James did not re-sign on what will likely be a deal north of $50 million per season for however long he wants to finish his career.
The Lakers' title odds were unchanged after drafting Bronny James because of the roster of the Lakers and the pre-existing expectation that his father would re-sign with the team.
With LeBron James back in the fold, the question now becomes if the Lakers can pursue a third star with their three available draft picks for trade. With Donovan Mitchell expected (but not assured) back in Cleveland, the question becomes if the Lakers can lure Jimmy Butler, Paul George or another unknown star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to help carry the franchise past the LeBron era.
It's unknown if the Lakers intend to make Bronny James a serious rotation piece.
Ultimately, there's a degree of ugliness to all of this, as the younger James doesn't get to have a normal career thanks to the presence of his father. And while this will likely net him a guaranteed contract based on the second-round pick exception which helps his potential earnings, it also paints Bronny James in a tough light as having been "gifted" this opportunity when, in reality, he's had to battle back from a cardiac arrest to land in the NBA.
Bronny James deserved an opportunity to prove he belongs in the NBA on his talent, merits and work ethic, but this selection will put him under a deeper spotlight and make him a player media seeks to interview mostly about his father. It's undeniably a cool story that two generations of NBA talent get to play together, but the Lakers will need to be careful with his exposure to prevent him from being a punchline, unless he surprises everyone with NBA-level ability right away.
Either way, the Lakers now have two of the House of James on their roster and another drama in their long history to navigate.
