Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, has not gone a day in his life without being in the spotlight. From the moment he first stepped onto the court as an elementary schooler playing AAU basketball, Bronny has been hounded by cameras, media, and crazed fans.
All of this media attention has allowed us to follow the majority of Bronny’s life. Fans have watched him develop on his star studded North Coast Blue Chips AAU team, become a standout high school prospect at Sierra Canyon, play a meaningful role in his freshman season at USC, and now finally enter his name into the NBA Draft
However, some people are skeptical of what Bronny is truly capable of at the next level. The argument has been made that Bronny’s success has came solely as a result of who his father is. Some have said that Bronny would never have a chance to make it to the NBA if his father was not one of the greatest players of all time. While we will never know if this is the case, there is no denying that Bronny’s college stats are slightly underwhelming compared to other players in this year’s draft class.
The 6’4” guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while playing 19.4 minutes per game as a freshman at USC. While the stats do not exactly scream “NBA prospect”, the eye test helps Bronny’s case to be selected in the draft. On a team full of upperclassmen guards such as Boogie Ellis and Kobe Johnson, Bronny always looked like the most composed player on the court.
He did not play like a typical freshman on either end of the floor. Bronny was never flustered on offense, playing the game at his own pace and always making the right play. On the defensive end, Bronny could frequently be found guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. His mental game and intangibles appear to have a more positive impact on NBA scouts than his numbers.
NBA scouts and executives have very mixed opinions on Bronny James. Some see him as a potential solid two-way player due to his maturity and intelligence at such a young age. Others believe he would go undrafted and strongly recommend that he return to college.
However, one very important factor remains that may have a strong impact on if/when Bronny gets selected in this year’s NBA draft. Following the 2021-22 season, LeBron James signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. This contract also includes a $51 million player option for the 2024-25 season. This means that in this coming offseason, LeBron can either opt into his player option and remain in LA for one more year, or opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.
Many believe that LeBron structured his contract this way specifically because his player option would arrive following Bronny’s freshman year of college. LeBron has stated openly that his dream is to one day share the floor with his son in an NBA game. This contract structure allows LeBron to potentially opt out and follow Bronny to whichever franchise may take a chance on him in the NBA Draft.
A team drafting Bronny will likely result in that same team having a signficantly increased chance at signing his father this offseason, but will teams really be willing to take the risk of reaching on a prospect that would almost certainly go undrafted if he had a different last name? This is a question that has been frequently debated by fans and scouts alike.
We must remember that LeBron James will be turning 40 years old next season. At this point in his career, LeBron will likely not be able to take a lottery team deep into the playoffs, let alone win them a championship. On the flip side, a current contender may see this as a perfect opportunity to add a superstar to potentially win them a ring.
In what is widely regarded as one of the worst draft classes in recent history, a contending team may feel as though they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by selecting Bronny as early as the end of the first round. The possibility of landing LeBron James in free agency, even as a rental for a year or two, may outweigh the potential of any player selected at that point in a draft.
The withdrawal deadline for players who have entered their names in the NBA Draft is May 29. Bronny, having also entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal and maintaining amateur status, has the option to return to school and continue his collegiate career. However, if he chooses to remain in the draft, there is no doubt that Bronny James will be one of biggest draft day question marks in recent NBA history.
