Why NBA executives doubt a team will draft Bronny James with hopes that LeBron joins: "Don’t think there’s any validity to that" (Exclusive)
Will NBA front offices evaluate Bronny James strictly on his strengths, weaknesses, or upside? Or could the Lakers or another NBA team draft Bronny partly in hopes that his LeBron follows suit?
“I don’t think there’s any validity to that,” an NBA scout/consultant told Sportskeeda.
Most mock drafts project Bronny to be selected in either the second round or not at all after averaging 4.8 points on 36.6% and 2.1 assists during his freshman season at USC. The Lakers could select Bronny at the No. 55 pick. However, an informal sampling of other NBA executives expressed doubt that the Lakers would trade up in the draft to secure Bronny or that another team would select him in hopes that James would join them as a free agent.
“That plays no part in it at all,” one NBA executive told Sportskeeda. “That’s pretty short-sighted. Any team would love to have LeBron. But I don’t think any team would draft Bronny and go, ‘Hey, we’ll now have a chance to get him.’”
Sportskeeda spoke with two NBA executives and an NBA scout/consultant for their perspective on Bronny’s game, his trajectory and more.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversations have been edited and posted. The interviews were also conducted separately.
NBA executives give their take on Bronny James' prospects
What were your impressions of Bronny James last year?
NBA executive #1: “It’s hard to say what he was going to be if you never saw him after he finished at USC. It was a tragic beginning [with his cardiac arrest]. He played with two guards ahead of him that he wasn’t going to beat out. He wasn’t going to beat out [Isaiah] Collier and he wasn’t going to beat out Boogie Ellis. It was a bad fit at the beginning. I understand why he went there, but it was not a good decision. But we saw him in LA during the pro-days, and his body looks great. He’s in great shape. He looks like a worker. Everybody who has interviewed him says he’s a top-notch kid. LeBron and [Savannah] have done a great job with him. The family has done great.”
NBA executive #2: “He did the best he could with what he had. He had a serious setback. He’s not getting enough credit for the fact that he had a cardiac issue that seems to be resolved. He had a cardiac issue at 19 years old. Imagine the extraordinary toll that has taken on his mind. Yet, he still shows up every day. His resiliency and mental strength are off the charts. Plus, he’s LeBron James’ kid. Most kids of famous people fail to carve their own path. Bronny’s not going to fail because he has his head on his shoulders. He’s too young to critique his Xs and Os. He understands the game of basketball and knows how to play with the ball in his hands. He’s a smart kid and a smart basketball player. When you’re not huge, you have to learn how to be great without physical gifts.”
NBA scout/consultant: “There needs to be a lot of improvement and proven ability. Experience will help. He has the size to be a point guard, but he’s not a point guard yet. He doesn’t know how to run at point and choose the shots against that level. He was okay at the combine and I am glad he played. There are a lot of positive things about him with certain skill sets. He’s 6’4. He has to improve his versatility on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he’s going to have to prove that he can handle the ball at the point or on the wing to make plays for others. He’ll have to understand the NBA game with both how to defend and when to attack and make plays in positions and hit spot-up 3s. He was only 27% from 3 [26.7%]. He averaged 20 minutes a game [19.4]. A lot of times he would come in and make bad shots, but he was always a hustler. Those are positive qualities. He’s going to have to earn his minutes defensively while he works on his offensive game and gets better. Right now, he is a two guard. If he wants to improve his game, he’s going to have to have more versatility.”
What’s your outlook on his NBA trajectory?
NBA executive #1: “The question is at 6’2”, is he really a point guard or a small two-guard? He’s a good enough shooter, but he’s not a great shooter. He’ll be a decent enough defender, but he’s not a lock-down defender. He’s not a great athlete; he’s a good athlete. So what is he hanging his hat on? When you draft Bronny, he’s going to give you what? You are going to have sift through what his real skillset is. I don’t see him being drafted in the first round. But you hear rumblings that he doesn’t want to take a two-way [contract]. I don’t know what all the posturing is. But when it’s all said and done, he’ll spend some time in the G League after he gets drafted by a team.”
NBA executive #2: “Where he goes in the draft? I don’t know. He’s not a big kid. I’m not quite sure what his reliable skill will be in the league. But there’s one thing that I’ve discovered in this league. If you have a healthy body, competitive will and high basketball IQ, and even just one skill, you can make it in this league. I think he will make it in this league. He might be a third-string combo guard or something like that. But he’ll make it. He has a good head on his shoulders. He knows how to play the game. I think he’ll make it. He’s been studying basketball his whole life. His genetics alone would lead him to have a decent basketball career. On top of that, he’s trying to play the game and is playing it pretty well. He can do a little bit of everything at an okay level. At 19 years old, that’s all you need to be able to do.”
NBA scout/consultant: “Is he ready to be drafted? I don’t think so. Does that mean he can’t make it? No. Maybe he just doesn’t want to go to college. Maybe he wants to invest his game in the G League. That’s great. You’re playing in a league that is run by the NBA teams’ front offices and NBA coaches with NBA systems. Investing your game is how you get to the next level. It’s not about just being drafted. So if he’s not drafted, it’s okay. He’ll get an opportunity in Summer League. He’s gaining experience right now with individual workouts and at the Combine. He’s finding that the speed and skillset might be better, or that he’s struggling or that he’s excelling at other things to build his confidence. He should get to Summer League and build and gain experience and improve there through practice. Regardless of whatever happens, he’ll get into the G League.”
Do you see any validity that a team could draft Bronny in hopes that they can convince LeBron to join them, too?
NBA executive: “That plays no part in it at all. That’s pretty short-sighted. Any team would love to have LeBron. But I don’t think any team would draft Bronny and go, ‘Hey, we’ll now have a chance to get him.’ To sell that to your owner? No. His whole family is in LA. His businesses are in LA. Everything about him is in California. And Bronny gets drafted somewhere else? So LeBron’s going to move everything or spend six months there and leave the family back? He has another son that’s playing in high school and a daughter. When it first came out, it sounded cool. LeBron said, ‘I’d like to play with my son.’ But could they actually make that work? If the Clippers or Lakers draft him, that makes a little bit more sense. But I don’t think they’re drafting him with the hope that LeBron will stay with the Lakers or come to the Clippers. Can you imagine his last two years playing with the Clippers? There’s just no way he’s going to do that. No way is he going to do that. No chance.”
NBA executive #2: “I don’t think anybody should draft Bronny James with anything other than what is in the best interest of Bronny James. If somebody drafts Bronny James because there is a 1% chance that LeBron joins them, I would say, ‘Shame on that team’ because they are putting undue pressure on Bronny James and they’re not drafting Bronny James for their own developmental purpose. They’re drafting Bronny James for selfish reasons. I don’t think that’s the right move. You should only draft him if you fully believe in him. Otherwise, don’t draft him. That’s for everybody. If you don’t believe in him, don’t draft him. If you do draft him, but don’t believe in him, he will sniff that out in the first 12 hours that he is in the building.”
NBA scout/consultant: “If LeBron was 30 years old (laughs). I love LeBron. I think he’s still great and he still dominates. I love watching him play. But he’s at the end of his career. The ultimate goal is to win. If you bring someone in just to go fill seats, those seats are going to be empty if you’re not winning. I don’t think there’s any validity to that. The Lakers might draft him [at No. 55]. But I don’t see them trading up. Overall, Bronny is a good player and has good potential. But is he worth trading a draft pick? In my opinion, no. I’d be looking to invest in my team. Is he good enough to get on a G League team? Then, ‘Yes of course.’ But we can all be proven wrong. A lot of these players have a chip on their shoulders. Those that have a chip on their shoulders like to go out and prove it. That’s great. That’s what you want.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider with Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.