The NBA combine is set to take place in Chicago at Wintrust Arena from May 12-19, and Bronny James will be one of the 78 players invited to the event. This is the first season that players will be required to participate in the combine in order to be eligible for the upcoming draft.
Still officially undecided between returning to the NCAA or declaring for the NBA draft, Bronny has an incredibly difficult decision on his hands. James was a top-ranked prospect in his class coming out of high school that many saw as a borderline lottery pick for the 2024 draft, but after averaging just 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 25 games as a freshman for USC, his value is likely at an all-time low. His season was cut short due to a Cardiac Arrest episode that kept him sidelined for five months, and he will need to be cleared by medical professionals before participating in the combine.
If Bronny does officially enter the draft and is selected by an NBA team, he forfeits his college eligibility and cannot return to the NCAA James entered the transfer portal, meaning he can either transfer to a different college, enter the NBA draft, or return to USC next season. He has until May 29 which is the NBA Draft Withdrawal deadline to make his decision between the NBA and the NCAA. If he chooses to enter the draft and is not selected, he can either return to college or sign with an NBA team as an undrafted free agent.
The most likely team to select Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft is the Los Angeles Lakers for obvious reasons. Bronny’s father Lebron James is currently a member of the Lakers and has expressed his desire to play alongside his son over the past few years.
Another interesting wrinkle in this saga is the fact that Lebron has a player option for this upcoming season, giving him the ability to opt out of his contract and test free agency. The Lakers could choose to select Bronny to increase the likelihood of Lebron accepting his player option, or another team might take a chance on Bronny to increase their odds of signing Lebron this offseason.
The Lakers have the 17th, 48th, and 55th overall selections in the 2024 NBA draft but they would almost certainly need to use their first-round selection to acquire Bronny. The 17th overall selection would be a reach on Bronny after his disappointing season, but in a weak draft class with the perks that come along with him, taking a flyer could be well worth it.
Bronny could sellout G-League stadiums with the popularity he has accumulated by not only being the son of Lebron James, but also collaborating with some of the internet’s biggest stars such as Adin Ross. James has 7.5 million followers on Instagram and is a member of one of the largest E-Sports organizations in the world, Faze Clan.
If you are looking to bet on where Bronny James will be selected in the 2024 NBA draft, make sure to check out the best betting sites your country has to offer. The Lakers are currently the favourites to land James at +190 odds over at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Philadelphia 76er, New York Knicks, OKC Thunder, and Cleveland Cavaliers are all tied for second at +1000.
