Some unnamed NBA executives believe that Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, currently projects to be a second-round draft pick.
“Having polled several executives, Bronny James probably projects to be a second-round pick at this point, though it’s too early to say with any certainty,” wrote Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “A team could reach for the son to lure the father.”
The younger James doesn’t graduate from high school until next year. Under current NBA rules, he wouldn’t be eligible to be selected by any team until the 2024 NBA Draft.
This weekend, the elder James indicated that he plans to close out his storied NBA career by playing alongside his son.
There’s no guarantee that the younger James will be drafted as soon as he’s eligible. However, the elder James’ plans of joining his son wherever he lands make it almost a certainty that some team will scoop up the youngster.
For many teams, the idea of drafting the younger James and also getting one of the NBA’s greatest players ever is likely pretty enticing. This could help the younger James move up in the draft.
Of course, the younger James still has time to polish his own talents. Perhaps he could even turn into a legitimate first-round choice and silence the inevitable critics who will claim that his father is the reason he’s an NBA prospect.
For now, the elder James is simply trying to focus on getting the Lakers back on track as they get closer to the postseason. L.A. currently holds a poor 27-31 record.
