Getty LeBron James (2nd R) looks on from the stands towards Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans during the first half against the Long Beach State 49ers.
After Bronny James made a successful basketball comeback from a cardiac arrest last summer, the big question now is will the Los Angeles Lakers be able to pair him with his dad LeBron?
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks believes that will hinge on the New Orleans Pelicans, who own the Lakers’ first-round pick in the next NBA Draft.
“Remember, New Orleans has the Lakers first but can defer it until 2025,” Marks said on the December 11 episode of the “NBA Today” on ESPN. So, if that pick is at 23 or 24 and the Lakers had that, would they take Bronny James to pair up with his dad?”
The Pelicans can defer that pick to 2025 if they believe the Lakers will regress next season. If the pick is deferred, the Lakers would have the chance to select Bronny as a late first-rounder since he is not projected to be a lottery prospect.
“The hope is that Bronny can stay healthy and impact USC for the remainder of the season,” The Messenger’s Jeff Goodman wrote. “LeBron [James], who turns 39 later this month, has made it no secret that he yearns to play with his son in the NBA before he calls it a career. The NBA execs I’ve spoken to have been intrigued by Bronny’s game and development, but most slotted him as a late first-rounder in a weak NBA draft. That was also prior to the heart issues.”
2 East Teams Loom as Lakers’ Threat
If the NBA ends today, that Lakers pick will be at no. 22, per Tankathon’s Mock Draft.
However, Marks views the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, who own multiple first-round picks next year, as a threat to the lure of pairing the father and son.
LeBron James has a $51.4 million player option for the next season which he might not pick up if Bronny does not end up in Los Angeles.
Per Tankathon, the Knicks currently have the 15th and 24th picks while the Pacers own the 21st and 25th selections.
Bronny James as NBA Prospect
Bronny James showed his defensive prowess in his college debut with the Trojans despite playing on minute restrictions.
BRONNY JAMES WITH THE BLOCK 😤
ESPN’s Draft guru Jonathan Givony noted the younger James’ ability to get over screens, contain opponents one-on-one and cover ground seamlessly for steals and chasedown blocks.
“He is still figuring out where to be in USC’s schemes, and gave up a costly blowby in overtime that led to a dunk, but overall he looked far ahead of expectations as a freshman playing his first college basketball game,” Givony wrote.
While his defense is ahead of the curve, Bronny has a lot of catching up to do on offense, which could be the reason why he is not a lottery prospect at the moment.
“Offensively, James is much more of a work in progress. He looked quite passive by relinquishing opportunities to push the ball in the open court, was overly unselfish moving the ball around the perimeter and simply wasn’t aggressive looking to score with huge swaths of space around him. Considering how long it has been since his last competitive game more than eight months ago, it’s understandable to an extent, but James showed similar traits in high school at times as he’s still figuring out how to put his imprint on games consistently,” Givony wrote.