Bronny James will be in Chicago next week to participate in the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. But according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, James already has an NBA suitor.
Charania, appearing on the Pat McAfee Show earlier today, talked about LeBron James and Bronny James.
“LeBron James want to play up to two more seasons & obviously the Lakers want to bring him back.. They do have interest in bringing Bronny in as a draft pick
Los Angeles Lakers Interested In Drafting Bronny James, Per Insider
While the Lakers interest in locking up LeBron James for the rest of his career or desire to do relatively anything to ensure that he remains in Hollywood has long been known. However, Charania’s reporting that the Lakers may use a draft pick on Bronny may be a little jarring to some due to his lackluster freshman season at USC. There was always thought that a team may sign Bronny to a two-way contract to lure LeBron away from the Lakers.
As Charania stated, Bronny will likely schedule workouts with teams either before or after the NBA Combine. He must also be cleared by a team’s medical doctors before being chosen in the draft.
Bronny James Scouting Report
Bronny entered USC as a consensus top-20 recruit. But shortly after enrolling this summer, he suffered a cardiac episode, and it was initially thought that he might never play basketball again.
Bronny did get cleared, though he did not appear in a game until December 10. James finished the season averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting .366/.267/.676. The 6-4 did have a few good games, scoring in double-figures three times while demonstrating the ability to be a capable playmaker and defender.
Here is 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein’s thoughts on Bronny:
This year at USC, he failed to live up to even the most conservation projections as he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting just 36.6% from the floor, 26.7% from three, and 67.6% from the free-throw line. Of course, this came after suffering cardiac arrest over the summer, and while he was fully cleared to return athletically, we don’t know the extent to which that absence impacted him.
Defensively, he was advanced for a freshman, showing an ability to both pressure the ball and contain opposing scoring guards. Offensively, he’s really never been a dynamic creator in a half-court setting (he can explode when he gets loose in transition though), so the key variable to unlocking more individual offense is the progression of his shooting. He certainly has the potential to e a more effective shot-maker then we saw this season and that would open up a lot of other options for him including attacking close-outs and being more of a threat out of ball-screens.
Overall, Bronny remains someone with a well-rounded and balanced game who can impact winning, but who has yet to show, at any level, that he can be consistently dynamic.
The Lakers 2024-25 Roster/Salary Cap
Even though LeBron has struggled to stay healthy since joining the Lakers, he is still very productive and efficient despite being 39 years old. The problem for the Lakers is that his six-year tenure in LA has been a mixed bag. James has only played 60 games twice, including 71 contests this past campaign.
Over the last six years, the Lakers have missed the playoffs twice and only won more than 50 games once. Granted, they won the 2020 NBA title, but they have been ousted in the first round twice. The Lakers have a .585 winning percentage with LeBron on the court.
Will LeBron James Opt Out?
According to reports, James plans to opt out of his $51.4 million player option, thus becoming a free agent. So, the Lakers have a significant decision to make, especially with LeBron wanting to play two more years. James does not have until June 29 to make his decision official and may wait until the final minutes to decide officially.
Here is the problem. The Lakers appear to want Anthony Davis to be the franchise’s leader. Davis has led the team in win shares the last two seasons, finishing fourth in the league this past season and three of the last five years.
With D’Angelo Russell also reportedly declining his player option, the Lakers could save around $70 million. Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish also have player options, but the duo will likely exercise theirs.
Let’s say Russell and James opt out of their deals while Hayes and Reddish opt-in. That would leave the Lakers with 10 players under contract and about $41 million in cap space. Here is perhaps the bigger question: Would James consider taking a pay cut to have a better chance at winning an NBA title with the Lakers over his last two seasons?
Los Angeles may have a first-round and a second-round pick in 2024. However, New Orleans still has the right to take the Lakers pick this year or next — as part of the Davis 2019 trade. If the Pelicans take the Lakers first-rounder this season, they will have their own in 2025.
