As the NBA season winds down, it means the start of the 2024 NBA Draft process. Each team will have a chance to select from the pool of prospects, hoping that this one pick will change the trajectory of their franchise for years to come. It’s an exciting time for everyone and while the 2024 class isn’t considered a great one, there is strong depth within the players.
One of the more interesting names among the candidates is Bronny James, son of still-active NBA legend LeBron James. He has been one of the more heavily followed prospects in recent memory, simply due to who his father is. James declared for the draft following a poor freshman season with the USC Trojans. Many have believed that he should head back to college to develop his game more but James seems to have his mind set on heading to the NBA.
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Part of the reason why he struggled so much in college was that he suffered an unfortunate cardiac arrest just a few months before the season started. It caused him to miss the first part of the college season but thankfully, he was cleared to play. There are those who also believe that he played out of position with the Trojans, and really needed the ball in his hands to make things happen.
His draft range has been projected from the late first round to the backend of the second round. But no matter where he is selected, if he is, his agent Rich Paul was clear that James wouldn’t be accepting a two-way contract from any team. In an exclusive interview with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Paul let it be known that teams interested in his client would need to give him a spot on their standard 15-man rosters.
“Yes, that’s absolutely true. Teams know that. I’m not doing that,” Paul said.
This both helps and hampers James’ chances to make the league, as there were many teams who may have been interested in him on a two-way deal. With his poor year in college, there are teams who don’t believe he is NBA-ready. But James has been improving his status around NBA circles recently due to strong performances at the NBA Combine and his Pro-Day.
The more important factor in all of this is that James heads to a team that believes in his abilities. If a team can be patient with the 19-year-old, it could end up getting an impactful NBA player down the line. For now, James will do whatever he can to impress scouts and we will likely see him in the NBA as early as next season.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
