Bronny James announced his intention to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, though he can withdraw his name and return to college if his pre-draft process doesn't work out. Shams Charania has revealed that since Bronny's declaration, NBA teams have evaluated him as a prospect who can enter the league as an NBA-caliber defender.
"When I talk to NBA teams there's a clear consensus that as a defender, he's already at that caliber of an NBA defender. We know about his basketball IQ, obviously, great genes there. Shooting, offensive game, ball-handling, I think those are things scouts and talent evaluators will keep an eye on as he goes through the pre-draft process."
Shams further discussed the 2024 NBA Draft being the perfect one for Bronny to enter due to how weak it is and reiterated that Bronny and his team will be very cautious through this process to find the perfect situation.
"If there's a draft to be in, this is probably the draft by all accounts. It's not like Bronny James is hurting for money, but this is something him, Rich Paul, and everyone at Klutch Sports, they'll make sure he finds the right situation. Whether that's in the first or second round... Any GM that takes Bronny James, takes on the persona of what this all means and needs to have some comfort with what their job status is."
Bronny is coming off a disappointing freshman season with the USC Tigers. After suffering from a cardiac arrest last summer and returning to the court at the start of the year, Bronny never found a rhythm and averaged just 4.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 37.4% field goal percentage.
Even if he doesn't stay in the 2024 Draft pool, Bronny can easily go back to college and see which school he can end up in through the transfer portal.
Former NBA Star Believes Bronny Is Better Off In The NBA
There is no exact science when it comes to predicting how successful a college prospect can be in the NBA. We see high-producing college players barely make it to the NBA at times, while certain low-production players end up developing into NBA stars. Bronny hopes to be a part of the second group, with former NBA star Baron Davis believing he'll be better in the NBA than he was in the NCAA.
"He may be a better pro than he is a college player. You know the program is a lot different, uh, it's more free-flowing, you're not coached every moment, you know, uh, you're not playing zone all the time, so you know. From what I've seen from Bronny he's an athletic, smart point guard, and he can shoot the ball. So, if I was him, I try my hand and then if I don't like what I see, I can go back into the portal."
Bronny has been touted for his intangible defensive ability for years, with scouts even comparing him to the likes of Jrue Holiday and Marcus Smart before he even went to college. Even if he enters the NBA as a slightly worse Davion Mitchell, he could play a role on an NBA team and gradually develop into a legitimate NBA point guard.
If he can't develop, even being LeBron James' son won't keep him in the NBA for that much longer.
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