In a guest appearance on the ‘Green Light’ podcast, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had some interesting things to say about young NBA prospect, Bronny James. In fear of being “fined,” Carlisle vaguely hinted at some insider information on the upcoming draft.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that he goes quite a bit higher than that,” said Carlisle. “I’m not going to say who…I’ve been fine enough this year during the playoffs.”
The Pacers have three picks in the upcoming draft, all in the second round at No. 36, No. 49, and No. 50. At the moment, nobody but the scouting department knows which way they are leaning but it seems like they do not have plans to consider Bronny James.
Bronny, who is fresh off his debut season at USC, is the son of LeBron James and has been one of the biggest stories of the summer. After averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 36% shooting in his freshman season, his draft stock fell to the late-second round and there is no guarantee that he will get picked at all.
If you ask Carlisle, however, he’ll tell you that both Bronny and the rest of the league know what comes next. The 19-year-old athlete has only worked out for two teams so far: the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. The Suns only have one first-round pick this summer, No. 22, while the Lakers have two: the 17th pick (from the Pelicans) and the 55th overall pick.
The Lakers have not yet revealed their plans for their picks this summer but it seems obvious that Bronny will end up being one of them. While his numbers and impact on the court were not the best, he made an impression on scouts and impressed enough at the combine to raise his value.
Most importantly, his link to LeBron James gives the Lakers the perfect opportunity to ensure the happiness of their franchise superstar. If Bronny ends up with the Lakers, it’s all the more reason for the King to re-sign with the franchise and commit to playing out the rest of his career in the Purple and Gold.
In light of the failed pursuit of Dan Hurley, the Lakers desperately need a win right now and I think drafting Bronny is the quickest and easiest way to ensure they can keep their championship core intact for at least a few more years to come. The only question now is what kind of impact Bronny can make on the Lakers given his limited success in the college sector.
If he’s unable to raise his game, Bronny could end up counting as a wasted pick for the Lake Show and there will no doubt be a chorus of heat coming their way. Of course, the Lakers have no better options at the moment and if drafting Bronny even gives them a slight chance to get a commitment from LeBron, then it’s worth doing for the sake of making one final title run with this roster.
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