There are a lot of rookies that may want to prove themselves in the upcoming season. After all, the 2024 NBA Draft class was dubbed as one of the weakest in league history. This was despite being headlined by guys like Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher. While the top of the class usually gets all the bets, the 55th pick of the LeBron James and JJ Redick-led Los Angeles Lakers racked in a lot of bets. Who might this person be? He is none other than Bronny James.
The Lakers' 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is the most bet-on player to win Rookie of the Year, per BetMGM. Bronny James has a line that clocks in at +25,000. Betting on LeBron James' son to succeed and flourish under JJ Redick would surely give a person a big cashout. He did receive most of the vitriol when it came to his class and even left some Lakers fans scratching their heads.
NBA Draft standouts and their betting valuations
As of the moment, the headliners of the 2024 NBA Draft are the ones most favored. Alex Sarr, who got drafted by the Washington Wizards and will join Kyle Kuzma, got the top spot with a +350 line. Zaccharie Risacher, the top pick that went to the Atlanta Hawks, is ranked second. His line is valued at around +450.
After those two, the instant-impact guys from college are the ones who follow. Stephon Castle from the national champions UConn basketball program will get an opportunity to learn from Gregg Popovich and Chris Paul. He will do this within the San Antonio Spurs system. The fact that he is partnering up with Victor Wembanyama also boosted him up to third. Bets on him are being valued at +700.
Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year from Purdue, rounds out the top 4. He will enjoy the benefit of spacing with guys like Desmond Bane and Ja Morant. This much leeway for post-ups got him a +1,100 line before the season started.
There is no certainty that betting on the Lakers rookie will ever yield positive results. All that these bettors can do is hope that LeBron James and JJ Redick teach him well.
Lakers head honcho blasts the vitriol against Bronny James
As previously mentioned, drafting someone who has not had a reliable jump shot at USC while also having other guys available did not sit well with some of the Lakers faithful. But, JJ Redick posits that the front office made the right choice in drafting the younger James, via NBA TV.
“With Bronny, I want to clarify one thing. Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this. He talks about his hard work, Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as a case study one because of his base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, and passing. There's a lot to like about his game,” the Lakers head coach added.
The Lakers have a lot to do before the younger James pops out to become one of the best in the 2024 NBA Draft class.