After a strong combine performance, Bronny James is forgoing the rest of his college eligibility in order to stay in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Most of the talk surrounding Bronny has been about where his dad could join him (the Suns have been floated as the most recent possibility). Little has been said about where his skillset actually makes the most sense.
Here are the teams where he could potentially thrive and have the best chance of contributing sooner rather than later.
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Bronny James scouting report
Bronny has received countless advantages in his quest to become an NBA player, but he has legitimate skills that make him a bona fide prospect. He has good athleticism, shot it well in high school and is a high-feel player who makes decisive passes.
Bronny's calling card is going to be as a defender. He has a good 6-7 wingspan, which gives him the same measurements as two-time All-Defensive guard Avery Bradley. He's solid on-ball due to those excellent tools, he is good at navigating screens and, most importantly, he cares about that end of the floor.
While other prospects mostly compare themselves to superstars, Bronny listed Jrue Holiday, Davion Mitchell and Derrick White as players that he'd like to emulate. Those three are all great defenders who aren't centerpieces of their team's offense. Bronny knows what his role will be, which will be vital to his success.
"A big reason guys get stuck in the G League is because they don’t understand the position they’re trying out for," Alex Caruso once told JJ Redick on his "The Old Man and the Three" podcast. "It’s like going to a job interview and you're thinking you’re going to be the CFO of the company, and they’re looking for a guy to clean the bathrooms."
Caruso went undrafted in 2016 but has carved out a fantastic career for himself by embracing defense. Bronny will have to do the same in order to succeed in the NBA.
So where can Bronny thrive as a defense-first guard whose role on offense will be to move the ball and shoot open 3s? These are the landing spots that make the most sense.
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Bronny James landing spots in 2024 NBA Draft
Lakers
The Lakers remain the most likely landing spot for Bronny for a number of reasons, starting obviously with his dad. They also have the No. 55 pick, which is around where Bronny is getting mocked.
The fit in Los Angeles makes sense. The Lakers were missing the point-of-attack defense that Dennis Schroder brought to the team during their Western Conference Finals run. If they do retain D'Angelo Russell, then he will continue to get targeted in the playoffs.
Bronny could be a nice change of pace and spread the floor for the team's better options.
Suns
The Suns were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs because of their total lack of bench depth. They are a second apron team, meaning that the only avenues they have of signing new players are through minimum contracts and draft picks.
Phoenix finished a mediocre 13th in defense this season. It was also 25th in 3-point attempts. Jordan Goodwin came to the team as part of the Bradley Beal trade in the hopes of providing some secondary playmaking and defense. He never found a groove and was traded mid-season. Bronny could be a better answer in that type of role.
There is interest between both sides. The Suns are reportedly the only other team aside from the Lakers which Bronny has agreed to work out for. They only have the No. 22 pick in the first round, which would be a reach for Bronny. Trading into the back half of the second round is always an option.
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Heat
The Heat's grueling strength and conditioning regimen isn't for everybody. It takes a tough, high-character player in order to succeed there. Given the criticism that Bronny has already endured, he clearly has the thick skin that is a staple of Miami players.
There is nowhere better for player development than the Heat. They've churned diamonds out of the rough too many times to count. And head coach Erik Spoelstra always figures out ways to get the most out of his players.
Bronny would play well alongside some of the Heat's better scorers like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, taking on tougher defensive assignments to cover for those players' weaknesses. His point-of-attack defense would pair extremely well with Bam Adebayo.
The Heat have the No. 43 pick in the draft where they could select Bronny.
Mavericks
How about being the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2024 NBA Draft? The Mavericks have the last pick of the second round, at No. 58. They've built a great team around Luka Doncic by finding players who can defend and shoot 3s. That sounds like a pretty good fit for Bronny's skill set.
Dallas has already developed a player with a similar trajectory to Bronny in 2020 pick Josh Green. Green is a try-hard defender who improved from a horrid 16.0 percent shooting from 3 as a rookie to 38.7 percent over the past three seasons. He has carved out a nice spot in the team's rotation.
Jason Kidd has also reversed the narrative surrounding himself, gaining credit as a good head coach. He had a guard with the same wingspan in Michael Carter-Williams in Milwaukee. Kidd turned him into a defensive specialist, using that long wingspan in ultra-aggressive coverages to generate a ton of steals. He could do the same with Bronny.
