Bronny James goes unselected in first round of 2024 NBA Draft
Bronny James was not projected to be chosen in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft by most experts. Surprisingly, some of those doubters were actually working for NBA teams.
LeBron James' oldest son, who was ranked by Yahoo Sports as the 54th best prospect in the draft, was not chosen in the first round on Wednesday. This outcome was not unexpected since most experts did not rank him very high, but there had been some rumors that a team might pick him to take advantage of his famous father. This made it seem like anything could happen on draft day.
Bronny is now the most prominent player in the second round of Thursday's draft, and it seems likely that he will end up with the Los Angeles Lakers as the 55th overall pick. Despite LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, stating that they are not a package deal, there have been ongoing rumors connecting Bronny to the Lakers.
Selecting Bronny and keeping LeBron, who may decide to leave his contract soon, would make the Lakers the first team in NBA history to have a father-son duo playing together. In addition to Bronny, the Lakers also selected Dalton Knecht from Tennessee at No. 17, which could turn out to be a great steal in the draft.
Bronny James' Unique Pre-draft Journey
Bronny specifically trained with the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns before the draft. The Suns don't have a second-round pick because of a tampering violation, but there's a chance they could make a trade to get back in the game.
Otherwise, Peek has noted that the Toronto Raptors (No. 31), Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 37), and Dallas Mavericks (No. 58) have shown interest in the 6-foot-2 combo guard.
Bronny James' selection process seems to be progressing as expected.
Adding to the complexity is Paul's preference for his new client to sign with teams that are willing to provide a guaranteed contract. James is currently viewed as a player with potential for growth, as he only averaged 4.8 points per game during his shortened time at USC due to a cardiac arrest. This may deter teams from taking a chance on him.
It seems unlikely that any team other than the Lakers would choose the younger James due to the restrictions he has put on himself. This is why many people believe it is already decided that the Lakers will pick him. We now just have to wait and see if another team will try to disrupt the expected outcome.
