While it was a predictable outcome, there still had to be plenty of emotion in the room where the James family watched Bronny James realize his NBA dreams and get a chance to play with his father with Los Angeles.
Bryce James, Bronny’s younger brother, shared on Instagram the moment that his older sibling saw his draft pick announced on ESPN and the celebration in the room that followed. The results are very moving.
Regardless of how you feel about how well this will work, there is something undeniably touching about seeing Bronny James react to such a life-changing moment, and it’s awesome that his younger brother shared the moment for us to see.
It really adds some real heft to this already surreal sports moment.
Bryce James captured the moment his brother Bronny got drafted to LA 💜
Florida point guard Zyon Pullin has signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat after going undrafted.
The Miami Heat signed former Florida guard [autotag]Zyon Pullin[/autotag] to a two-way contract, according to Jacob Rudner of Swamp247.
The two-way contract has become a more common path to the NBA for players who go undrafted, made evident by former Florida forward Alex Fudge’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks organizations this year. Fudge made six combined appearances this season.
Pullin is a far more refined player than Fudge was. After a four-year career at UC Riverside, Pullin transferred to Florida and delivered a First Team All-SEC performance, even though he missed the first few games of the year because of an NCAA violation pertaining to the draft.
The starting point guard led Florida with 162 assists and ranked second with 15.5 points per game. He also averaged 3.9 rebound, recorded 30 steals, and set a program record with a 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio — the best number posted by any SEC player in the 2000s.
Former Florida guard Zyon Pullin has agreed to a two-way deal with the Miami Heat, @Swamp_247 has learned.
The Sun Sentinel previewed this pairing when the Heat hosted Pullin for a pre-draft workout on Thursday. The 6-foot-4 point guard saw it coming too.
“I’m very familiar with the Heat and two-ways,” Pullin said at the Kaseya Center on Thursday in front of Miami’s coaching staff. “I think that’s something about the Heat — if you compete, you play hard, you have an opportunity to play.”
Pullin will play for the Heat’s Summer League team.
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After re-acquiring their pick in the second round, the Warriors used the No. 52 overall selection to draft Boston College big man Quinten Post.
After trading out of the second round of the 2024 draft, draft day looked to be over for the Golden State Warriors without a pick. However, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Steve Kerr were able to find a way back into the second round on Thursday.
Following a trade that saw the No. 52 overall pick head to the Oklahoma City Thunder for wing Lindy Waters III, the Warriors were later able to reacquire their own pick in the second round. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors traded cash considerations to reacquire their pick in the second round, which was traded from the Thunder to the Portland Trail Blazers.
With the No. 52 overall selection in the 2024 draft, the Warriors drafted Boston College center Quinten Post.
The Warriors traded cash to reacquire the 52nd pick and drafted Quinten Post, per source. That officially hard caps the Warriors at the second apron. They are now unable to go over it this season (which was the plan regardless).
Post, from Amsterdam, Netherlands, spent the first two seasons of his college career in the SEC at Mississippi State. After two seasons, Post transferred to Boston College, playing his last three seasons with the Golden Eagles.
The seven-foot stretch five earned a spot on the 2023-24 All-ACC team last season, averaging a career-best 17 points on 51.8% shooting from the field and 43.1% from deep to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Post started the 2023-24 campaign on fire with an explosive 31-point performance with five made 3-pointers against Fairfield. Post made three of more 3-pointers in nine different games last seasons for Boston College.
The elder and young James will be the first father-son duo to play in the NBA in league history. (However, Bronny might start in the G-League first.) And before anyone goes on making claims about the Lakers drafting Bronny because of nepotism, ESPN analyst Adrian Wojnarowski shared a rather pointed rebuttal.
In the aftermath of the pick, a clearly annoyed Wojnarowski went on a rant about how nepotism is already so rampant in the NBA.
From coaching to front offices, the practice is all over the place. To Wojnarowski, the Lakers drafting Bronny is just an excusable drop of water compared to the entire league’s landscape:
Woj: "I don't want to hear the charges, people talking about nepotism. The NBA is full of nepotism. The ownership level, front offices, coaching. I don't want to hear about it all of a sudden because Bronny James' father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league." pic.twitter.com/LW9FI6BLOX
Wojnarowski’s point is technically correct. The NBA also isn’t the only league — or profession — for that matter — that has such rampant instances of nepotism. The Lakers getting LeBron James’ son is more the tip of the iceberg than a canary in the coal mine. And it’s far from the worst situation to get a dad and son on the court together. This kind of problem has existed for years.
On the other hand, you have to love the logically sound argument that essentially states, “If it happens elsewhere, it’s OK here.”
It’s a cool story that LeBron James gets to play with his son in the best basketball league in the world. No one’s denying that. We don’t have to sugarcoat the inner details about how it happened, though. It’s still nepotism, and it’s still a greater symptom of a much larger problem.
While it is still a year away, one Alabama basketball freshman is already earning first-round NBA draft grades.
Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats has revived the program with sustained success on the court, on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. After reaching the Final Four of March Madness for the first time in Crimson Tide history, Oats may be on the verge of sending another set of players to the NBA.
In 2024, Alabama managed to retain most of its talented roster, which helped guide the team to a deep NCAA Tournament run. As a result, the NBA draft did not feature any Crimson Tide standouts. However, that could change next year.
In a recent way-too-early 2025 NBA mock draft, Adam Finkelstein and Travis Branham projects incoming Alabama freshman small forward Derrion Reid to be selected No. 29 overall to the Orlando Magic.
“Reid is a versatile forward with size, length, athleticism and versatility on both ends of the court. He is at his best as a slasher, defender and rebounder but has also shown promising flashes as a playmaker and has grown as a shooter entering college.”
Reid committed to Alabama in December of 2023, and is one of the highest-rated recruits landed by Oats. He ranked No. 9 in the ESPN 100, and ranked No. 16 in the nation, according to 247Sports, which also tabbed Reid as a five-star prospect.
After committing to Alabama, Reid credited Oats for being a large part in the decision.
“I love their play style and the coaches,” Reid told ESPN. “Coach Oats gets his players better. I believe I can make an immediate impact and get better in all aspects of my game so I can get to the league. Coach Oats is a great person to be around and learn from.”
While the 2025 NBA draft isn’t for another year, it’s important for fans to get familiar with potential stars on the upcoming Crimson Tide roster as the team looks to not only return to the Final Four, but build upon this success as the program seeks a national championship.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball news as the 2024 offseason progresses.
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The expected outcome doesn’t always emerge in sports. This time, it did. Bronny James will get to play NBA basketball with his father, LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft. There were no last-minute complications. Bronny entered the draft knowing that while he could have played a second year of college basketball, he could fast-track his career path and be able to share plane flights with his famous father as a Laker teammate. To be sure, Bronny is not expected to be an extended-minute player for the Lakers, but being in the fold with the franchise and his dad will give him continued proximity to LeBron in ways which would not have existed had he stayed in college or been drafted by another NBA team. The plan all along, it seemed, was for Bronny to go at 55 to the Lakers. Bronny, by being drafted, was picked ahead of dozens of other players who could reasonably claim they are better basketball players right now.
The decision by Bronny James to enter the draft might have seemed like a bad one, purely in terms of where Bronny was selected on the draft board. Bronny could have played another year of college hoops and become a first-round pick in 2025. However, in terms of being able to play with his dad and be on the same NBA team as his dad as a draft pick (and not an undrafted free agent), there is plenty for Bronny himself to like about his situation with the Lakers.
Well, it actually happened. Bronny James is a Laker.
Well, it actually happened.
Former USC guard Bronny James will join his dad, LeBron James, with the Los Angeles Lakers as the team’s second-round pick.
The Lakers chose the younger James with the 55th pick on Thursday afternoon after he fell from the first round as expected, sending him to a Los Angeles team that’s trying to win a championship while the elder James is still playing at a high level.
While Bronny James might spend a good bit of time in the NBA G League as he prepares for a full-time role with Los Angeles, it’s not hard to imagine that LeBron James will want a chance to play with his son sooner than later.
NBA fans weren’t shocked in the slightest by Bronny James being drafted by the Lakers, but it’s still a seismic moment in NBA history as one of the greatest players of all time gets the rare chance to play with one of his kids.
However, ex-Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers may have just taken a needle to that spiteful balloon.
During ESPN’s draft show, Myers succinctly explained the current situation with Bronny. If a non-Los Angeles Lakers team drafts Bronny in the second round, then LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, has threatened them that Bronny will go play Australia instead of reporting to his new NBA team.
If I’m being candid, that doesn’t sound like a strategy someone would bluff about.
If it is true, it’s quite a gambit to try to ensure that Bronny plays with his dad in the NBA. However, given the tremendous influence Paul has on the league with Klutch Sports, it’s probably going to work:
"Rich Paul is calling teams, don't take Bronny James … if you take him, he's going to Australia." 😳
At this point, if Myers’ claim is fact, I’m not sure if it’s worth it for another team to draft Bronny. With the Lakers and Paul seemingly so hellbent on getting him on the roster, it might just be best to let L.A. conduct its desired business.
Hours before the Lakers come up at No. 55 in the NBA draft, ESPN’s Bob Myers identified agent Rich Paul’s Bronny protection plan.
Have you wondered why other NBA teams won’t intervene and draft Bronny James? Have you asked yourself why other teams won’t claim Bronny James for themselves and see if that might entice LeBron James to leave the Los Angeles Lakers? We can all assume that behind-the-scenes plans were already in place. Thursday, hours before the Lakers came up at No. 55 in the NBA draft, ESPN analyst and former Golden State Warrior executive Bob Myers said he has been hearing backstage chatter about the plan agent Rich Paul has for Bronny James.
Myers said on ESPN that, according to what he is hearing behind the scenes, Rich Paul is calling NBA teams and telling them not to draft Bronny. That doesn’t seem especially notable in itself.
It’s the next detail which unveils the actual plan: Myers reported that if any team does pick Bronny before the Lakers pick at 55, Rich Paul has told teams that Bronny will simply go to Australia and play pro ball there, leaving that NBA team without a signed contract. The pick would be wasted. That’s the plan for “Bronny-proofing” the draft and making sure the Lakers get him at 55.
We should clarify: This article is being published before the Lakers pick at 55, but this report affirms the prevailing conventional wisdom that Bronny will be the pick at No. 55 in the NBA draft when the Lakers are on the clock.
Tyler Kolek is arguably the best playmaker in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 24, 2024.
Marquette Golden Eagles guard Tyler Kolek is a plug-and-play prospect who will bring a sense of grittiness and competitiveness to the next level.
Kolek, a consensus second-team All-American, was one of the best players in NCAA men’s college basketball last season. He was the NCAA season assists leader after averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game as a senior. Kolek had previously won Big East Player of the Year in 2023.
But before that, he was a mid-major standout at George Mason University. Yet proving people wrong continues to fuel his outstanding play, as he told For The Win during a recent interview.
“That chip on my shoulder, I’ve got to play that way each and every game to survive. That’s where it comes from. I was that overlooked guy,” Kolek said. “I wasn’t a five-star. I wasn’t a top-100 recruit. I wasn’t a highly recruited guy. I’ve been able to get where I am through that toughness and that chip on my shoulder and playing with that feistiness every time I step on the floor.”
He uses his exceptional court vision and playmaking to elevate the play of those around him.
“I just really want to find a role on a team and really help winning,” Kolek added. “I feel like I’m a winning guy. I feel like the intangibles I bring kind of carry over to that. What I bring to a team will definitely be toughness, competitiveness, I’m just looking to build a culture wherever I go.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Watch Episode 5 of Prospect Park, a video series featuring future NBA players brought to you by USA TODAY Sports and For The Win:
What should NBA teams know about you?
I’m just trying to convey how much of a competitor I am and how much of a leader I am, what I can really bring to an organization. A team is picking me to be an addition, not a subtraction to their organization. I want to show them all the qualities that I have that can uplift their culture and all of the other things that they value. I bring toughness on the floor. Leadership on the floor. Leadership in the locker room. I’m going to be a rookie this year but I feel like I’m pretty mature. I can bring that older vibe to a younger team or try to learn from veterans if I do join a locker room with a lot of veterans. I’m just open to being a sponge and really learning and eating up as much as I can.
How do you use your playmaking to impact winning?
I like to say I create shots with a pass. My pace in the ball screen, the way I can find guys with different angles, it’s something I love to do: Seeing a guy make a shot off my pass. A lot of guys like to score but that’s what brings me the most joy is getting an assist. It was ingrained in me from a young age: Being able to share the ball, playing team basketball, and a team game. To win one-on-five, you need everyone on the floor to be contributing. The ball has energy behind it. I really believe that. The more it gets zipping around, the more energy you’ll have on the offensive end and the more energy you’ll have on the defensive end and everyone will be feeling good with themselves.
How are you able to score near the basket so well?
I’m super crafty. I’m not an above-the-rim guy. I’m not going to dunk on you or anything like that. But just working on my touch, my floaters around the rim, my wide finishes. I have to get creative. You watch all these guys in the NBA. There are a lot of guys that don’t have the leaping ability. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Jalen Brunson, those type of guys. They still get it done at at a really high level. So just trying to emulate stuff that they do. Take bits and pieces from everybody’s game that would benefit mine and just constantly working on it. That was something I really improved on when I got to Marquette was my finishing package just because there are bigger, taller, more athletic guys in high-major basketball. I wasn’t accustomed to that before but after I got one year under my belt there, I really figured out what I needed to work on and get better at and I really tapped into all of the finishing stuff.
What led to you becoming a potential first-round pick?
I definitely couldn’t have pictured this a couple of years ago. It’s crazy to think about. I talk about it with my friends and my family. I still have a long way to go, obviously. I’m not a finished product by any means but to get to this point, all the hard work and dedication that I put into it and everyone sees it. Everyone sees it. Everyone that’s been around me on this journey is like: ‘Wow. I’m really impressed with how hard you worked and how dedicated you are.’ A lot of guys to get to this level have to be that. But I feel like I’ve taken it to another level. I really appreciated this process for that.
