The average second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft played 22 games this past season. Any or all of them may compose basketball magnificence in the future, but for now it’s safe to say a second-rounder would be a small price to pay to acquire future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
That cost, though, might be exorbitant for his eldest son.
Tuesday, the day after his father and the rest of the Lakers fell in a first-round playoff series against the reigning champion Nuggets, Bronny James appeared on the early entry list for the 2024 draft. This does not necessarily mean he is turning professional, but instead that he wants time to consider all available options.
It could mean, though, he’s intent on fulfilling LeBron’s stated goal of playing on an NBA team with his son.
And, at this stage, that’s preposterous.
This is not the first occasion in which I’ve seen a father drastically misdiagnose his son’s talent level, but in this case we’re talking about a young man who might, if he handles his talent properly, have a solid career in the pro game. Remaining in the 2024 draft would be the opposite of “properly.”
Will Bronny James remain in the NBA Draft?
Remember, we’re talking about a player who is not even 10 months beyond an episode of cardiac arrest that occurred during a workout at USC. That near-tragedy revealed a congenital heart defect, which reportedly required an open-heart procedure to repair. He was away from the game – from the intense training and competition required at the NCAA Division I level – for roughly three months.
That he went on to average 4.8 points and 20 minutes a game in 25 games for the Trojans should not be construed as evidence he is a poor player. It should be considered, though, as proof he is far from prepared to play in the world’s greatest basketball league.
LeBron declined to address his future with the Lakers after the team’s elimination from the playoffs. That added intrigue to this situation and opened the possibility a team hoping to acquire “King James” might draft his son and use that as the ultimate recruiting tool.
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In January, when Bronny had played in just nine Division I games and accumulated only 47 points, LeBron told reporter Claire de Lune of The Guardian his son “could play for us right now. Easy. EASY.”
It was a ridiculous claim that ran directly counter to everything everyone was seeing from Bronny as he worked his way back from such a significant health event. LeBron was more demure after the Nuggets loss, saying, "At the end of the day, the kid has to do what he wants to do. And I don’t even want to say ‘kid’ no more -- the young man will decide what he wants to do and how he wants his career to go.”
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That sounds all 21st-century-parent, but because LeBron has been so publicly effusive in recent years about the LeBron/Bronny NBA tandem, and because he knows there are teams – likely including the Lakers – who’ll burn a second-round pick on Bronny if it means getting to sign "King James", and because he understands the business and process of the league so well, it’s his responsibility to say, “Wait.”
It’s likely Bronny will leave USC following an offseason coaching change, but he could transfer to another school as easily as remaining in the draft. LeBron’s high school teammate, Dru Joyce, recently was named head coach at Duquesne. Landing someone with Bronny’s potential would be significant for the Dukes.
And it would be more significant to Bronny. He needs a full, healthy college season. He needs the chance to compete a full season in the best possible condition. He needs to excel at a level short of the NBA if he's ever going to realize a significant career in the league.
There is a no harm/no foul quality to Bronny’s presence on the draft list, though this exercise may be of less value to him than most players who recently completed their freshman seasons in college. Even those unlikely to be selected can gain valuable experience and insight into the professional game from going through the draft process once or more. Bronny, though, has been around the NBA his entire life, and his father has been available as a constant resource. Bronny knows everything about the league he cares to know.
What he needs to hear next from his father is a strong dose of reality:
You’re not ready, son. Get healthy, get good, get drafted on your own potential.
But can LeBron James handle the truth?
