The Lakers will get the 17th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft amid Bronny James rumours.
The Lakers secured their first-round pick after the Pelicans deferred their pick until next year, paving the way for Bronny James.
The Lakers will retain the 17th choice in the 2024 NBA Draft, as the Pelicans have chosen to defer the first round pick owing to the Lakers as part of the Anthony Davis trade to next year. This pick will allow them to draft Bronny James in the first round, avoiding him being selected by another team in the second round of the draft.
To no one’s surprise, the Lakers have been the most firmly linked to drafting Bronny James. With LeBron James as the Lakers’ focal point and him repeatedly expressing his desire to play with his kid, the Lakers were always the odds-on favourite to select Bronny in the draft.
While other teams, such as the Suns and Warriors, have been linked to Bronny, the Lakers are likely the only ones ready to prioritise obtaining James in the draft. And this decision gives them an excellent opportunity to select him without facing significant opposition.
Many draft analysts believe Bronny is not a top-level talent in this year’s selection, thus most clubs with a high lottery pick would pass on him unless they believed they had a good chance of landing his father, LeBron, in free agency.
ESPN Sources with @DraftExpress: The New Orleans Pelicans are planning to defer the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round pick until 2025, clearing the way for LA to select 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Pick conditions were part of the Anthony Davis trade in 2019.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 31, 2024
Bronny has also helped narrow down which teams may seriously consider him, having declined private workouts with practically every NBA team except the Lakers and the Suns. While the Suns will be unable to pay LeBron James his estimated salary in free agency, they may still choose Bronny James in order to entice LeBron.
Will Bronny James Succeed with the Lakers?
Barring any shocks, Bronny James will be a Laker next season. While the Warriors are interested in acquiring him in the second round and the Suns are an outside option, there is no reason to believe the Lakers will pass up the opportunity to select Bronny with the 17th overall pick in the draft.
Being selected at 17 will be significantly higher than earlier estimates for Bronny. Many commentators predicted that he would be drafted in the second round since he lacks the stature and skill set of a lottery choice. Many people expect this to happen because he is LeBron James’ son.
For the most part, Bronny has said the right things, stating that he wants and expects to be treated like any other NBA prospect, and that he hopes clubs would choose him based on his abilities rather than his father’s. However, there is no escaping the elephant in the room. And if it weren’t for his father, Bronny wouldn’t be a top draft prospect.
It was recently discovered that 37% of draft bets predict Bronny James to go first overall this year. While this is exceedingly doubtful, it does reflect how many teams are considering drafting him this year, as well as how fans regard his attempts to enter the league.
