On Wednesday, Bronny James went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft despite being ranked as the No. 54 prospect by Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. Despite this, there were still speculations that a team might select him due to his famous father, LeBron James.
Following the draft, Bronny is now the most prominent name heading into the second round, with the Los Angeles Lakers appearing as a potential landing spot at No. 55. Although LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, has emphasized that Bronny and LeBron are not a package deal, there have been rumors linking Bronny to the Lakers throughout the draft process.
The Lakers’ decision to potentially draft Bronny stems from the idea of creating the first father-son combo to play together in NBA history should LeBron opt to stay. The Lakers made another notable pick in the first round when they selected Dalton Knecht at No. 17, suggesting they are looking to build for the future.
Before the draft, Bronny only worked out for two teams: The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. However, due to a tampering violation by Phoenix Suns, they lost their second-round pick which limited other teams’ interest in signing him. Other teams such as Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks showed interest in him but his agent’s preference for guaranteed deals might limit his options further.
The unconventional nature of Bronny’s draft process made it challenging for teams to consider selecting him due to his limited pre-draft workouts and preference for guaranteed deals. Nonetheless, it seems like he will land with Los Angeles Lakers but there is still room for other teams who could disrupt those expectations.
It remains uncertain where exactly Bronny will land and begin his NBA journey after going undrafted on Wednesday.
