Business or Basketball move?: Lakers draft Bronny James at 55

This year’s second round of the NBA Draft was the most anticipated one in years, and it was all because of one prospect: Bronny James.

Of course, Bronny is the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, and rumors have been swirling for months about the Lakers drafting him at pick 55 and pairing the father-son duo on the same roster. 

BREAKING: BRONNY JAMES IS A LOS ANGELES LAKER 🤯

HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/NmueokWZ52

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) June 27, 2024

Thursday evening, the Lakers fulfilled that prophecy, and Bronny James is the newest and youngest Los Angeles Laker. This move has many moving parts, so it’s time to break it down and analyze the Lakers’ decision. 

If there were any doubts that Bronny would not be a Laker on day two of the NBA draft, they were immediately shut down when it was reported in the middle of the second round that Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, was calling teams, letting them know that if they drafted his client, he would go to Australia.

Not many players can average 4.8 PPG on 36/26/67 splits in college and get away with telling teams not to select them, but this is not your everyday prospect. 

The likely number one reason for the Lakers to draft Bronny is to please LeBron.

With LeBron becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Lakers wanted to take the extra step and give him even more reason to come back to LA. LeBron, however, stated multiple times that playing with Bronny was no longer his priority, so excusing this pick for that reason may not be valid. 

Putting pleasing LeBron aside, one must also look at this pick from a strictly basketball perspective and look at Bronny without attaching LeBron to him.

The Lakers are a contending team and need to select players that can help them win as soon as possible no matter how early or late it is in the draft, a plan we saw them execute by selecting Dalton Knecht at 17.

Bronny, though, has not proven he can impact winning anytime soon. 

As mentioned, he averaged just 4.8 points per game in his freshman year at USC on subpar shooting splits. Bronny added just 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as well.

While he did show flashes of being able to do things that don’t appear on the box score, such as defending the perimeter, he still has a lot to work on.

Throughout his time at USC, he tended to float on both ends of the court and was often unable to immerse himself in the game or create his own shot.

Many experts believe Bronny should have returned to college for another season or two. This would have given him more time to prove himself and have a full offseason after his cardiac episode last summer, which derailed his freshman-year plans. 

So, what is the realistic outlook and best scenario for Bronny to become a rotational NBA player? Time in the G League may be the best first step, although Rich Paul has established an extended stint in the NBA’s developmental league is not something his client is looking for (another unusual obstacle for a player at Bronny’s current status for the Lakers to deal with).

In the G League, though, Bronny could develop the rest of his game and better learn how to take advantage of his physical tools and basketball IQ, as well as give him confidence and get into a rhythm on both ends. 

THE MOMENT BRONNY JAMES WAS DRAFTED 🥹

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— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) June 27, 2024

If Bronny can earn a rotation spot down the road, which will likely take 3+ years at the very least, expect him to be a Davion Mitchell type of guard who can provide 10-20 MPG of defense off the bench, even if his playmaking and scoring aren’t the best. 

Overall, while the Lakers could have taken a player more polished and more likely to contribute to winning sooner than Bronny at #55, such as wing Jalen Bridges, guard Trey Alexander, or big man N’Faly Dante, they got the guy that they hope will guarantee LeBron James’s return to the team.

They will now have to look to JJ Redick and his player development staff to mold Bronny into a legitimate pro player. 

Overall grade: B-