The 2024 NBA Draft Class has been heralded as one of the weakest Draft classes of recent seasons, with Bronny James forming a part of it by being the 55th pick in the Draft. While Bronny is clearly a development project, bettors are heavily interested in Bronny’s success. ESPN has reported that no rookie has received more bets for Rookie of the Year than Bronny.
“More bets have been placed on Bronny James to win Rookie of the Year (ROY) than any other player at multiple sportsbooks. James has attracted nearly one in four of the bets placed on the ROY market at ESPN BET. BetMGM reported taking a $1,000 ROY bet on James at 250-1 on July 6, from a bettor in Ontario, and DraftKings said that only [Zach] Edey had attracted more money wagered than James in its ROY market.”
The current favorite for the award is Memphis Grizzlies’ center Zach Edey after his impressive performances in the Summer League amidst Zaccharie Risacher looking average and Alexandre Sarr looking bad. Not many people genuinely believe Bronny is a contender for ROTY, but the casual bettor will see his name and take a flier on him given how favorable the odds can be if he ends up winning.
Bronny just had his second consecutive double-digit scoring game in the Summer League, putting up 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists in a 93-89 win over his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jeanie Buss Wanted Bronny On The Lakers
LeBron James has faced a lot of hate from fans and media in recent weeks for pushing Bronny into the NBA and exerting his influence on the Lakers organization to get them to draft him in the second-round pick. Bronny and LeBron’s agent Rich Paul even threatened possibly interested teams, like the Suns, to not draft Bronny because they wanted him to go to L.A.
Rich Paul has come out and said it wasn’t a LeBron-led decision, with Lakers governor Jeanie Buss making the call to select Bronny.
“Look, Jeanie Buss decided that she’s making this call, and she’s been able to see Bronny in all aspects not only from a basketball perspective but also from a character perspective. And he has everything that aligns with the Laker brand. And so, you have to make that type of call. At the end of the day, we’re not going to spend too much time on that. Bronny has to work his way, and he will.”
From a brand perspective, Bronny was easily the most valuable pick in the Draft. As we’ve already seen, the No. 55 pick of the Draft has consistently gotten more coverage than any top pick from the 2024 Class. While the attention has been mostly negative, it has been ever-present, with Bronny being one of the biggest talking points of the summer.
Bronny will likely bring in a lot of money for the organization, and his improving play through the Summer League has given fans hope that the 55th pick will end up finding a place in the NBA, something picks that late rarely get a chance to say.
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