NBA executive shares whether team would draft Bronny to lure LeBron

Nov 24, 2023; La Jolla, California, USA; USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) warms up before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at LionTree Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest questions heading into the NBA Draft is whether a team will draft Bronny James in an attempt to boost their chances of signing LeBron in free agency. At least one NBA executive does not expect that to happen.

An NBA executive who spoke with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda said he does not envision any team drafting Bronny as a precursor to pursuing LeBron in free agency.

“That plays no part in it at all,” the exec said. “That’s pretty short-sighted. Any team would love to have LeBron. But I don’t think any team would draft Bronny and go, ‘Hey, we’ll now have a chance to get (LeBron).'”

A scout for a team also told Medina that the scout does not think there is “any validity” to the idea.

Bronny averaged just 4.8 points per game as a freshman at USC. While he is said to be fully recovered from the cardiac arrest he suffered before the season, he is not viewed as an elite NBA prospect. Most analysts expect him to be drafted in the second round if at all, and the Los Angeles Lakers happen to have the No. 55 overall pick.

It is also worth noting that Bronny — like his father — is represented by powerful agent Rich Paul. Would a team really want to anger Paul by drafting Bronny just to strengthen said team’s free agency pitch to LeBron? Probably not.

LeBron said earlier in his career that his goal was to one day play alongside Bronny in the NBA. He has since backed off of that, but it probably goes without saying that he still wants it to happen. The Lakers are in a good position to make that a reality, and they may be motivated to with LeBron seemingly headed for free agency.