Bronny James goes unselected in first round of 2024 NBA Draft

Bronny James wasn’t thought-about a first-round choose by many individuals coming into the 2024 NBA Draft. Because it seems a few of these individuals have been additionally in NBA entrance workplaces.

The eldest son of LeBron James, ranked by Yahoo Sports activities’ Krysten Peek because the No. 54 prospect within the draft, went unselected within the first spherical Wednesday. It isn’t an enormous shock given the place the youthful James was ranked by most expertise evaluators, however there was sufficient hypothesis {that a} workforce may choose him to leverage his father that something appeared attainable.

Bronny now sits as by far the largest title of Thursday’s second spherical, with the Los Angeles Lakers standing out as an apparent touchdown spot at No. 55 general. LeBron’s agent, Wealthy Paul, has made it very clear the 2 aren’t a package deal deal, however the Lakers have nonetheless been linked to Bronny all through the method.

Drafting Bronny and retaining LeBron, who may choose out of his contract quickly, would give the Lakers the primary on-court father-son combo in NBA historical past. The Lakers used their solely different choose of the draft at No. 17 general to take Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, probably the largest steal of the draft.

Bronny James’ predraft course of has been uncommon

Notably, Bronny labored out just for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns earlier than the draft. The Suns do not need a choose within the second spherical — they misplaced one attributable to a tampering violation — however they might nonetheless conceivably commerce their approach again in.

In any other case, Peek has talked about curiosity from the Toronto Raptors (No. 31), Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 37) and Dallas Mavericks (No. 58) within the 6-foot-2 combo guard.

Additional complicating the scenario is Paul saying he needs his new consumer to be chosen solely by groups keen to supply him a assured deal. James is seen at this stage as a developmental prospect at finest, having averaged solely 4.8 factors per sport in a one-season USC profession shortened by cardiac arrest, and that might discourage groups from taking a flier on him.

It is arduous to see a non-Lakers workforce deciding on the youthful James given all these self-imposed limitations, therefore why so many individuals deal with the Lakers taking him as a foregone conclusion. Now we wait to see if a workforce needs to spoil the enjoyable.