Although the 2024 NBA Draft is considered by analysts and talent evaluators to be one of the weakest classes to date, Bronny James’s presence is offering enough intrigue for people to follow along.
Bronny decided to keep his name in the draft after participating in the annual NBA Combine and will look to hear his name called on draft day. So far, Bronny’s draft range is wide as he could be taken late in the first round or at any point in the second round, though he is reportedly only meeting with teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
LeBron James’s uncertain future with the Lakers might tempt a team to take Bronny in hopes of luring his father, though that narrative has lost steam in recent weeks. Regardless, it sounds like there’s a strong possibility that Bronny has improved his draft stock enough to at least convince teams to take a shot on him.
The top of the lottery is as open as it’s been in years as there’s no consensus No. 1 overall pick. While French forward Alex Sarr is the early favorite to go first overall, Bronny has been attracting the most wagers to be selected first on betting platforms like FanDuel, via Doug Greenberg of ESPN:
“At FanDuel, James has attracted 30% of the tickets to be selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks, the most for any player at the sportsbook. BetMGM reports that the USC guard has 36.8% of the bets, well ahead of Alex Sarr (-300), who has the second most at 14%. James was not initially listed in the No. 1 overall market at DraftKings but found himself in the field as of Thursday afternoon.”
There’s almost no chance that Bronny is taken first overall, but it looks like bettors are putting in wagers in the event that the Atlanta Hawks or another team take the USC guard. The Hawks won the lottery despite only having a three percent chance to do so, and will have several options at their disposal regarding what to do with the pick.
The safe bet is Atlanta stays put and takes someone like Sarr, though the team could decide to trade down and pick up additional assets. However, it would be a massive shock if the Hawks end up taking Bronny.
Rich Paul says Bronny James won’t sign two-way contract
There are some who believe Bronny James will go in the late second round or undrafted, though even if that happens his agent Rich Paul said he won’t be signing a two-way contract.
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