There is now just one week to go before the 2024 NBA Draft begins, and the most talked about man in this year’s draft class has been Bronny James, the son of LeBron James.
Many have figured that one way or another, the Los Angeles Lakers will end up drafting the younger James. They have the No. 17 and No. 55 picks in this year’s draft, although some feel he could go earlier than the No. 55 pick.
The general feeling is that the team that drafts the younger James would be able to entice his father to sign with it in free agency this summer. But Rich Paul, who represents both players, says that isn’t necessarily the case.
Via ESPN:
“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul told ESPN. “If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn’t re-sign.”
The elder James has stated in the past that he would love to play alongside his son.
The younger James struggled this season in his lone campaign at the University of Southern California, especially when it came to his shooting efficiency. But he did show some promising signs at the NBA draft combine several weeks ago.
There are those who still feel he has star potential. But it is also fair to say that the hype and expectations surrounding him are mostly because of who his father is and not because of his own potential.
The younger James has limited the number of teams he has worked out with. He has only done workouts with the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, which has led to some whispers that perhaps the elder James could leave to join the Suns. But Paul tried to end that rumor.
“LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal. We can squash that now.”
Draft day could be a huge one for the Lakers, not only because of the possibility of taking the younger James but also because of the possibility they swing a sizable trade to upgrade their roster. They can offer up to three first-round draft picks in a deal, something they were unable to do prior to the trade deadline in February due to NBA rules.