Coming out of high school as a top recruit, Bronny James was viewed as a potential lottery pick in the 2204 NBA Draft. With the NBA Draft closing in, it appears very likely that James faces an uphill battle even to play in an NBA rotation next season.
Bronny, the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, spent his freshman season with the USC Trojans. Once a heralded recruit and a 2023 McDonald’s All-American, James’ collegiate career started with a medical scare.
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- Bronny James college stats (ESPN): 4.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 36.6% FG. 26.7% 3PT
On July 24, 2023, during a practice with the Trojans, James collapsed on the court and had to be taken to the hospital. The cardiac arrest was determined to be caused by a congenital heart defect, raising uncertainty about his future in basketball.
Fortunately, the 19-year-old was medically cleared to play and he made his NCAA debut in December. However, he largely served his freshman season as a reserve in the Trojans’ rotation. After the season ended, he both declared for the 2024 NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal.
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After being medically cleared by the NBA to play, James is staying in the upcoming draft. However, despite his pedigree, the teenager reportedly is unlikely to see minutes in an NBA rotation this upcoming season.
Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today, Adrian Wojnarowski said that James will have a notable impact on NBA franchises both as a basketball player and from a business perspective. However, much of his rookie season will seemingly be spent in the G-League.
“Bronny James is going to have an impact for organizations not just on the basketball side but potentially on the business side. He’s almost assuredly going to start in the G-league; he will pack G-league Arenas, merchandising all of those make him an attractive player whether it’s late first round or second round.”
Adrian Wojnarowski on Bronny James’ potential NBA impact
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The G-League certainly isn’t where Bronny or LeBron saw as a likely outcome a year ago, but the consensus opinion from NBA evaluators seems to be that he isn’t ready to play at the highest level. As Wojnarowski noted, though, playing James in the G-League means the affiliate of the NBA team will be drawing some of the highest attendance marks in the G-League next season.
There is still likely a future role for James in the NBA. He’s viewed as an above-average defender with a high basketball IQ and a strong work ethic, qualities that are found in rotational players with lengthy NBA careers. While James’ offensive game is a work in progress, the G-League can benefit his development and it’s certain that his presence will benefit whatever organization he plays for.