As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James contemplates retirement, one of the factors weighing on him is the opportunity to play with Bronny James in the NBA. However, that first requires James’ son to make it to the league.
Bronny, a 247 Sports’ four-star recruit, is one of the best high school prospects in the country. Rated as the 26th-best player and the sixth-best combo guard, the Sierra Canyon star recently committed to the USC Trojans.
- Bronny James high school stats (2022-’23): 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.8 SPG
Related: Bronny James commits to USC Trojans
The 18-year-old chose USC over offers from Ohio State, Oregon and Memphis. While he’s expected to be a crucial part of the Trojans’ rotation next season, there remains plenty of uncertainty regarding his draft stock in 2024.
NBA scouts spoke to On3.com’s Jamie Shaw about the top high school prospects at the McDonald’s All-American Game. While some drew rave reviews, the feedback was mixed on Bronny’s NBA potential.
“Bronny won’t get drafted because he’s LeBron’s kid. He’ll get drafted because he’s an NBA player. He works hard, goes about his business, and is tough.”
Anonymous NBA scout on Bronny James’ draft stock
Pro scouts often go to the McDonald’s All-American game to get an early look at NBA prospects. It allows them to see what level their game is at coming out of high school, get an understanding of their early strengths and weaknesses then see how they develop.
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Scouts who spoke to Shaw offered mixed reviews on Bronny’s ceiling. While they were all impressed by the effort he played with, his defensive intensity and his shooting, some weren’t as optimistic about his future in the NBA.
“Bronny is a good, two-three year college player.”
Second NBA scout on Bronny James
The perception NBA teams have of Bronny could help dictate LeBron’s future. If the consensus belief is that his son won’t be a first-round pick, there’s no incentive for Bronny to enter the 2024 NBA Draft after his freshman season. In that scenario, LeBron would be 41 years old when he might have his first chance to compete with Bronny.
However, recent mock drafts have Bronny being selected in the top half of the first round next year. If there’s enough belief around the NBA that Bronny can be a legitimate contributor, James would be further incentivized to stick around for the 2024 season.
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