It was not a surprise that former USC guard Bronny James didn’t find himself selected in the first round of the NBA Draft Wednesday evening.
Despite his namesake, James is seen as a major project. Early in the pre-draft process, he was considered an undrafted free agent.
The youngster then impressed during the NBA Scouting Combine and workouts for individual teams, vaulting him into the Round 2 conversation.
With the second round of the NBA Draft getting going on Thursday, we’re hearing a bit more about where James could land. It’s absolutely no surprise. There is now a good chance that Bronny could remain in Southern California and play with his father, LeBron James, on the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s seen as likely by sources who represent opposing teams across the league that the Lakers will select Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie reported.
Related: 5 ideal Bronny James landing spots in NBA Draft
Bronny James to the Los Angeles Lakers always made the most sense
Despite what Bronny and his father have said in recent months, it always made sense for the Lakers to nab him with the 55th pick in the draft.
You’re typically not going to get a pro-ready player at this position in the annual event. For a team like the Lakers with championship aspirations, rostering a late second-round pick isn’t necessarily in the cards.
“No, never. My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself, and get to the NBA, which is everyone’s end goal that’s here. I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course he’s brought it up a couple of times. But yeah, I don’t think about it much.”
Bronny James about playing with his father
The question here is obvious. Will Bronny fall to Los Angeles with the 55th pick? There are other teams who could opt for his upside instead of higher-floor players. The second round of the draft is typically a free-for-all.
But if James does fall to the Lakers, it’s looking more and more like he’ll be playing with his father. Wasn’t that how it was always going to turn out?