The Lakers selected Bronny James, the son of All-NBA forward LeBron James, with the 55th overall pick from USC in the draft. Bronny James played as a backup combo guard for USC during the 2023/24 season. The Trojans had a middling season, finishing with a 15-18 record and failing to qualify for the NCAA Tournament after former head coach Andy Enfield left for SMU.
In his 25 games played last season, the 6’4” guard averaged 4.8 points while shooting .366/.267/.676 from the field, adding 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. His season started late due to his recovery from a cardiac arrest suffered in July of the previous year.
Isaiah Collier, who was once considered a potential lottery pick heading into the 2023/24 season, ended up being selected by the Jazz with the 29th overall pick on Wednesday night.
Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports and agent for Bronny James, reportedly reached out to other teams during the draft to discourage them from drafting Bronny before the Lakers’ pick. According to ESPN’s Bob Myers , Paul informed teams that if Bronny was taken before the Lakers’ selection, he would consider exploring professional opportunities with the NBL in Australia.
Bronny James now joins a revamped Lakers team coached by former NBA sharpshooter turned analyst and podcaster J.J. Redick. The team is aiming for a deep playoff run in the Western Conference. It remains to be seen how many minutes the younger James will earn as a likely deep-bench reserve.
LeBron James has a player option worth $51.4 million to return to Los Angeles next season. With J.J. Redick, his former podcast co-host, now coaching the team and his son joining the roster, it appears to be a move that could benefit the Lakers’ aspirations. If LeBron and Bronny share the court, it will mark the first time in NBA history that a father-son duo has done so.
