The situation surrounding Bronny James ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft is truly unlike any other in the history of the league. It looks as if there is a very real chance that Bronny could wind up on the Los Angeles Lakers with his father LeBron James.
While the 19-year-old has said that is not his goal, and Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul, has made it clear that is not his focus either, the Lakers are reportedly on the short list of teams viewed as ideal situations.
But Paul continues to make it clear he is not pushing for the Lakers to draft Bronny. Paul spoke with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony, saying that the Lakers should view Bronny as they would any other NBA Draft prospect:
“The Lakers need to look at Bronny like everyone else,” Paul told ESPN. “If they value him enough and he’s there, that’s great. If it’s not the Lakers, that’s great. I won’t be mad if it’s not. It’s obvious that people hear the conversation around the dad and son playing together, but that’s not our focus. If it happens organically, great. I’m not building on that.
“I’m not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He’s far from a finished product. But he has a hell of start. He’s positioned well. … I don’t see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn’t make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that’s fine.”
It sounds as if Paul is preparing Bronny for all potential situations, whether he is drafted or not. He is right in that the Lakers should be evaluating Bronny as they would anyone else, but the reality is he is not just any other prospect, he is the son of the current face of the franchise.
Ideally, the Lakers will simply do what is best for the franchise as a whole. If they feel that adding Bronny James is the right move than so be it, but it should be based on him as a prospect and nothing else. If not, Paul sounds as if he will have Bronny ready for any potential situation that comes on draft night.
Rich Paul confirms Bronny James will remain in 2024 NBA Draft
One thing that won’t be happening is Bronny James returning to college. Rich Paul recently confirmed that Bronny will be remaining in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Following his work in the pre-draft process, Bronny’s stock seems to be on the rise and he has received numerous invitations to work out for different teams, though his camp is zeroed in on only a couple of situations they feel would be ideal for him.
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