Patrick Beverley makes perfect prediction on Bronny James landing spot during 2nd round of draft
Bronny James might not be the most talented player to be selected in the 2024 NBA Draft but he definitely grabbed the most headlines and people’s attention, including Patrick Beverley’s. We got deep into the second day of the 2024 NBA Draft before James was picked by the LA Lakers, as expected.
Before that, because of the anticipation surrounding Bronny James and the inevitability of someone drafting him, @BarstoolBigCat urged teams to make the selection at the earliest:
“When is Bronny getting drafted? Just do it already”
Beverley, who is very active on X/Twitter, had a quick response as he requoted the original tweet:
“55 Lakers easy call.”
The LA Lakers were long connected to Bronny. The original rumors started because LeBron James had earlier said that he wanted to play with his sons in the NBA before retiring. While his stance to do so had reportedly loosened in recent times, that could have been a ploy to ensure other teams didn’t draft Bronny.
Patrick Beverley’s prediction comes true as LA Lakers draft Bronny James
As expected, the LA Lakers drafted Bronny James 55th on Thursday, making LeBron and Bronny James the first father-duo son to be in the NBA at the same time.
As reported earlier Thursday by former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Klutch Sports' Rich Paul called teams to warn them against drafting Bronny. If any team did draft the former USC guard, he would have headed to Australia. Here’s what Myers said:
"Rich Paul is calling teams, don't take Bronny James ... if you take him, he's going to Australia."
While this is a big moment for the James family, it would mean nothing if the father-son duo doesn’t perform well for the Lakers. Them taking to the floor together would be a historic moment, but LA is chasing something much bigger.
Bronny didn’t have the best college season after going through a heart issue in the 2023 offseason. He played just 25 games for the Trojans and started just six matchups. He averaged a lowly 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Players with such numbers usually don’t even make the final NBA rosters, but it is expected to be a different situation in Bronny’s case. The Lakers might sign him to a two-way contract so that he could develop his game in the NBA G-League while also getting playing time with his dad.