“They want nothing to do with him”: NBA draft analyst reveals general consensus that scouts had regarding Bronny James as a basketball player
With the 2024 NBA draft combine around its halfway point, the entrants to this year's draft have had enough time to prove themselves to front offices. Bronny James is one of them, although one analyst still believes that scouts aren't too convinced that LeBron James's son is league-ready.
ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony on Thursday talked about how Bronny James has fared at the combine:
"This was a positive week in Chicago for Bronny James. He's moved into the late second round of our latest projections. We're gonna have him at 54 in our next update. That's all the way from the back end of our top 100. They feel like he legitimized himself as a real NBA prospect."
While this is certainly positive news for Bronny James and his fans, what Givony said next might still be a major cause for concern:
"There is a segment of the NBA scouting population who have already decided a long time ago that Bronny James is not a real basketball player, and they want nothing to do with him. He could go and have a triple-double in his next game, and they'd still be set in their fact that he's not an NBA player, and the only reason we're talking about him is because of his last name."
Givony doesn't appear to be one of those who don't believe Bronny James is a real prospect. Either way, the update on his draft stock is already a massive improvement from the USC guard being completely left out of past mocks, with him being put in the 2025 class instead.
Who might draft Bronny James?
With how the 6-foot-2 guard has performed the past few days at the combine, there has been speculation about who might take him despite the criticism.
Among these teams that may take LeBron James's eldest son is the Utah Jazz, with the team reportedly expressing interest in inviting him for an individual workout (according to Bleacher Report). The Jazz are reportedly said to be looking to use their 32nd pick on the USC freshman, with perhaps the ultimate goal of actually luring LeBron himself out of LA and to Salt Lake City.