- The Los Angeles Lakers have the best odds to draft Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft.
- As a freshman at USC, James averaged roughly 5 points and three rebounds per game.
- In July 2023, James suffered cardiac arrest during a workout in preparation for his freshman season at USC.
As we wait for Bronny James’ decision on whether he will declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, oddsmakers at BetUS believe that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most likely team to draft the 19-year-old guard.
Currently, the Lakers have +175 odds of drafting James. That equals an implied probability of 36.4%. Naturally, the main reason for the Lakers to draft James has the same name and plays for the team right now.
The thought process is that if the Lakers draft LeBron’s son, he won’t want to go elsewhere or possibly retire. The superstar has stated multiple times in the past that he wants to play with his son, including in an advertisement.
Following the Lakers, the New York Knicks (+700), the Cleveland Cavaliers (+800), and the Miami Heat (+1200) have the shortest odds to draft James. The Cavaliers are an interesting one, as they could attempt to lure LeBron back home to Ohio by selecting his son.
Bronny James Ready for the 2024 NBA Draft?
In early 2023, Bronny committed to staying close to home in Los Angeles and playing college basketball at USC. There was a huge scare shortly after.
On July 24, 2023, James suffered a cardiac arrest on the basketball court while training at the University of Southern California’s facilities.
The news sent shockwaves through the basketball world, with little information known in the days that followed. The primary priority was on James’ health and not basketball. Fortunately, he would make a full recovery and went on to play for the Trojans this season.
Following months of recovery, James made his collegiate debut against Long Beach State on December 10, 2023. In 17 minutes on the floor, LeBron’s eldest son scored four points on 33.3% shooting from the field.
Through 25 games, the 6-foot-4 freshman recorded 4.8 pounds, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 36.6% from the field in an up-and-down season at USC.
Despite James having the physical traits to have success and stats not always telling the entire story, he largely did not appear NBA-ready in his freshman campaign.
Nevertheless, if drafting him means that LeBron will sign an extension, the Lakers could take a chance. It would be a sizable gamble on a player who needs another year or two of college basketball to develop.
“Team Interest, Not Draft Position”
James’ agent, Rich Paul, stated earlier this month that declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft will depend on team interest and not draft position.
“I don’t value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation.”
Before James’ unfortunate cardiac arrest and freshman season, the Sierra Canyon guard was being floated as a potential first-round selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
However, after struggling to get into a rhythm in his first season at USC, draft projections have changed. Now, James’ camp is saying that the draft position is irrelevant, and team interest is the chief concern.
This likely alludes to the fact that a team could be willing to take a chance on James due to his father. The 19-year-old James undoubtedly has upside, but he is currently a raw player that needs more time to develop.
James averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in his final season in high school — the last full season that he’s played in his career.
