The Los Angeles Lakers had a disappointing end to their 2023-24 season with a first round exit in the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. They now face an offseason of potential uncertainty with the future of head coach Darvin Ham up in the air as well as the future of LeBron James. The Lakers could make a play to help sway LeBron to stay by selecting his son Bronny James in the NBA Draft.
On a recent segment of Bully Ball on the DraftKings Network, longtime NBA reporter Rachel Nichols made a case for the Lakers drafting Bronny beyond just uniting him with LeBron.
“He’s not taking up a spot on the roster, you can have a guy who is a two-way contract or end of the bench player who is a developing youngster in the NBA who is Bronny’s skill set,” Nichols said. “He’s got an NBA body. He’s obviously got a great basketball IQ. His reputation in both high school and college so far is that he’s a team guy. . .he’s seems like he’s a good team chemistry guy, and it’s a great story.”
The segment comes following a report that the Lakers would be open to selecting Bronny James in the upcoming NBA Draft. Bronny has declared for the draft while currently maintaining his college eligibility and simultaneously entering the transfer portal.
LeBron James’ future with the Lakers might not be tied to Bronny James
Prior to this season, LeBron James mentioned numerous times that he would like to play with his son Bronny James in the NBA. However, Bronny’s freshman season at USC didn’t exactly scream NBA first round draft pick. He showed flashes of the player he could be but could probably use a little more seasoning in college.
The only thing is that could coincide with however many years LeBron has left in his NBA career. While the LeBron is still playing at an extremely high level, it’s unrealistic to expect him to play for that much longer.
Against the Nuggets in the first round, LeBron averaged 27.8 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocked shots with splits of 56.6 percent shooting from the field, 38.5 percent shooting from the three point line and 73.9 percent shooting from the free throw line.
But another recent report seemed to indicate that LeBron’s future with the Lakers, or any other team for that matter, may not depend on them drafting Bronny.
Lakers decision on Darvin Ham should come before roster moves
The biggest question the Lakers face heading into the offseason, before the worry about LeBron James and Bronny James, is the future of head coach Darvin Ham. Ham still has two years left on his contract, but reports have indicated that he may not have full job security.
In two seasons as head coach of the Lakers, Ham has complied a record of 90-74. In his first year, he led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. But questions have been raised regarding his roster management and other in game adjustments/decisions.
Ham’s future with the organization will likely be decided long before the NBA Draft and free agency come about.
Follow Us
Subscribe