Bronny James was just drafted to the Lakers with the 55th overall pick and former Warriors executive Bob Myers revealed that it was rigged from the very start. Apparently, Bronny’s agent, Rich Paul, was telling teams not to draft Bronny or that he’d commit to play in Australia’s NBL instead.
“Rich Paul is calling teams, don’t take Bronny James. He’s telling them, don’t take him. If you take him, he’s going to Australia. So he has a plan and he has a place.”
"Rich Paul is calling teams, don't take Bronny James … if you take him, he's going to Australia." 😳
Bob Myers on Bronny James' draft status 👀 pic.twitter.com/p6mWNMAjma
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2024
Bronny previously said that his top goal was to get drafted, but we know now that it was only conditional. From the beginning, the Lakers and Rich Paul had a plan to pair LeBron James (39) with his son and this was the perfect way to ensure that he was still available at 55. While these methods are hardly unusual in the NBA draft, they are usually reserved for the top picks who have more credibility in the field.
Bronny, as talented as he is, isn’t quite on par with some of the best in the draft class and I would argue that he hasn’t really earned the right to pick his NBA team right out of the gate. Nevertheless, it seems the tactic worked and they got the results they wanted after years of planning.
Even before the draft, there were signs that Bronny only had eyes for the Lakers and it’s obvious now he was never going to play for anyone else. They were one of the only two teams that Bronny worked out with this summer and LeBron, a 4x champion, has been dropping hints for months now.
Of course, any team could have drafted Bronny (19) if they wanted but it’s clear that James wants to be a Laker and he was willing to go to extreme lengths in order to keep that dream alive. According to some, however, actively threatening teams not to draft him is a step too far. As a second-round pick who averaged 4.8 points per game at college, it takes some courage and confidence to deny so many NBA teams but his family name comes with a lot of power and we are seeing its full effects.
Now that both sides have got their way, it will be interesting to see what happens next and how Bronny’s game is able to develop. But if there’s one thing that the Lakers have made clear, it’s that they are completely and utterly devoted to 21-year veteran LeBron James and they will do whatever it takes in order to make him and his son happy.
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