The basketball season is officially over for the USC Trojans, and Bronny James is now one step closer to the biggest decision of his young career so far. The final game, a loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-12 tournament, was a fitting end to the season for USC, who finished with a record of just 15-18 overall.
The Trojans had won four straight before the loss, but they had no answer for the Wildcats defensively, who led by as much as 24 points. James, who came off the bench, scored just 3 points with minimal impact on the floor.
Throughout the season, Bronny has had his moments and he’s shown great potential as a playmaker and all-around point guard — but he has yet to live up to the name on the back of his jersey.
This season, in 25 games, Bronny averaged just 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 37.4% shooting. Besides the unimpressive stat line and poor shooting numbers, Bronny also lacks an elite defensive presence. And while he can carry his own on that end, it hardly makes up for his limitations when it comes to shooting and shot-creating.
At just 19 years old, it’s premature to make any definitive conclusions on Bronny or what kind of player he will become but there is a sense that he may not be able to match expectations as the son of an NBA legend.
In the latest mock drafts, Bronny was projected to be a late second-round pick with some scouts even suggesting that he may be better off waiting an extra year. Regardless of what Bronny decides, any path he chooses is likely to affect his father and it is sure to make things interesting in the upcoming offseason.
Should Any NBA Team Draft Bronny James In 2024?
As underwhelming as Bronny’s freshman season was, there is real traction on his NBA future. Leading the charge on his value is LeBron himself, who has gone out of his way to shine a spotlight on his firstborn son.
Earlier this season, James said Bronny could “easily” play for the Lakers right now and it’s no secret that the Lakers are open to making such a move. For those reasons, many believe that the Lakers are the most likely landing spot for Bronny and it’s hard to disagree. In one move, the Lakers can add a potential young shooter and keep LeBron James happy for years to come — a true win in every way for the Purple and Gold.
For any other team that wants to acquire LeBron, drafting Bronny might be the only way to do it, assuming that it will get James to reject his $51 million player option for next season.
One top candidate is the San Antonio Spurs, who are looking to assemble a contender quickly around Victor Wembanyama. If they want, the Spurs can use one of their picks this summer to take a risk on Bronny and add him with LeBron James to maximize Victor Wembanyama’s development.
In truth, any team in the league has something to gain from drafting Bronny James and the lack of star power in this year’s class makes it even more likely that Bronny will get picked up this summer, regardless of his stats.
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