6 ideal Bronny James landing spots in 2024 NBA Draft

After some debate as to whether he’d return for a second year of playing college basketball, Bronny James has officially decided to keep his name in the 2024 NBA Draft pool. Others may decide to withdraw from June 26’s NBA Draft, but not Bronny, according to his agent Rich Paul.

Before LeBron James’ eldest son began the pre-draft process, some wondered whether Bronny was even a legitimate NBA prospect. But after crushing his workouts and impressing during the NBA Draft Combine, Bronny’s stock is soaring.

Yet, while interest in Bronny is heating up, his draft range is still unknown, but the early expectations are that he’ll still be a second-round pick. Many second-round picks are forced to sign a two-way contract limiting them to 50 games and half of the rookie minimum salary earnings, but Bronny’s agent has already informed teams that his client will not be signing a two-way deal.

However, after testing as one of the quickest and most athletic prospects at the combine, in addition to being the son of a future Hall of Fame great, Bronny will have no shortage of suitors this summer. But which teams make the most sense for Bronny? Here are six potential draft fits.

San Antonio Spurs

In addition to holding the eighth pick, the Spurs also hold two second-round selections (35 and 48). There’s no guarantee they’ll make all three selections, but taking a flier on LeBron James’ son has to be appealing for San Antonio. They already have their face of the franchise with Victor Wembanyama, but Bronny would give Gregg Popovich an explosive guard who could someday develop into a scoring threat in addition to being a good defender.

Golden State Warriors

Roster changes will be coming to Dub Nation this summer as they look to avoid paying massive luxury tax penalties. This means the Warriors will need inexpensive talent to fill out the roster, and they won’t find a player with a higher upside than Bronny. The Warriors only have the 52nd overall pick, but if he’s still available, drafting Bronny is a no-brainer for Goden Stae.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have already shown they can develop second-round picks into regular contributors. While we’ll stop short of suggesting they can turn Bronny into a three-time MVP as they did with Nikola Jokic, this is still a team with a strong foundation, and Mike Malone doesn’t care about draft pedigree when determining who deserves to play. If Bronny works hard and shows he’s capable, Malone won’t hesitate to give him a chance in Denver. The Nuggets hold the 28th and 56th picks.

Dallas Mavericks

While the Mavericks only have the 58th overall pick, they could always get creative and ‘buy’ another from a team selecting ahead of them. They also have Luka Doncic — one of LeBron’s favorite players, plus Kyrie Irving, one of his best basketball buddies. Bronny may not be LeBron, but we envision him fitting in well in Dallas; he might even be able to recruit his dad to join the championship effort.

Phoenix Suns

So far, Bronny has worked out for just two teams, the Suns and Lakers. Phoenix makes sense because they’re all in on their All-Star core. Filling out the roster with inexpensive talent will continue being the Suns’ model, and we’ve already seen this front office take a chance on players with untapped potential, such as Bol Bol. Plus, think of how valuable it would be for Bronny to witness how Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal prepare for an 82-game season. He’s already seen how hard LeBron works, but learning a different perspective from the superstar trio could work wonders for Bronny’s long-term development.

Los Angeles Lakers may be the best for Bronny James

Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates with his son Bronny James after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports — Credit: Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Whether LeBron stays in LA or not, the Lakers are one of the best landing spots for Bronny. Ideally, he’d get to pair with his father in the NBA, but that’s not guaranteed. Either way, Bronny would be well-liked playing on a Lakers team that has witnessed LeBron playing at a high level for the past six years. Even if he struggles early on, it’s hard to imagine Lakers fans showering boos on the 19-year-old as a rookie. With a need for another guard, the Lakers might be the perfect landing spot for Bronny, yet they only have the 55th pick, so LA may have to climb up the draft board.