Bronny James, the son of basketball superstar LeBron James, had an uncertain future ahead of him after he suffered cardiac arrest in July. Less than five months later, he is back on the court for USC basketball and has his sights set on the NBA in the near future.
Oddsmakers are keeping tabs on James as well and there are already odds as to which team will select the 19-year-old should he declare for the NBA Draft after his freshman season at USC. It is funny to think this should even be a conversation with James just three games into his collegiate career, but that is how much of a polarizing figure he could be in the NBA.
According to SportsBettingAG, the Los Angeles Lakers are the betting favorites to draft Bronny James next June. There is a slight jump in odds with the New York Knicks behind the Lakers, per Adam Zagoria.
Team to draft Bronny James (odds per SportsBettingAG)
- Los Angeles Lakers (4/1)
- New York Knicks (9/1)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (11/1)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (11/1)
- Atlanta Hawks (16/1)
- Los Angeles Clippers (16/1)
- Miami Heat (16/1)
Bronny James' NBA stock
There is plenty of time for James to improve his draft stock for the NBA, but he is not a highly-touted prospect at the moment. James was a top 20 high school prospect in the class of 2023, but he currently lands outside the first round in most NBA mock drafts.
A significant reason why his name is not being mentioned at the top of the draft is the time he missed earlier this year. James was forced to miss the first eight games of USC's season and non-conference games are what helps separate talent among NBA Draft prospects.
James is back and being implemented into the USC lineup, but this is the point in the season when his game should be rounding into form as conference play looms. Instead, James is still getting his feet wet, though he is already contributing in multiple ways for the Trojans.
He's played a total of 49 minutes so far, recording 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. It is expected that the more minutes James gets the more polished he will become and his draft stock should improve because of it.
Bronny James might not play his way into the lottery, but the Lakers, Knicks and Cavs should not be picking in the lottery, so a late-round selection for James might be the final prediction. Of course wherever he ends up will lead to rumors about LeBron James joining him, though all those would be squashed if the younger James goes to LA.
LeBron James has long expressed his desire to play with his son in the NBA. It could happen in less than 12 months, but Bronny James still has some work to do to make his father's dream a reality.
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