ESPN's 2024 NBA mock draft predicts landing spot for Bronny James
Before Bronny James steps foot on the court at USC, ESPN is already projecting where he'll begin his NBA career.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have James, the son of the NBA's all-time leading scorer LeBron James, falling outside of the lottery at 17th overall to the Hawks in their 2024 NBA mock draft.
On May 6, Bronny James committed to USC where he joins the No. 1 high school recruit in the country, Isaiah Collier, and Boogie Ellis to give the Trojans a formidable team on paper. If the Trojans have a strong season and James is a key contributor, his stock will likely rise.
Earlier this week, James announced he will wear the No. 6 jersey at USC, the same as his father's with the Lakers.
In a February 2022 report for The Athletic, LeBron told Jason Lloyd, "My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."
He amended his plans in January 2023 in an interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin (h/t Sports Illustrated), saying, "I need to be on the floor with my boy ... either in the same uniform or a matchup against him... But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure."
In 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. became the first father-son duo to feature on the same lineup in the MLB.
But after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference Finals by eventual-champion Denver, James acknowledged a partnership with Bronny might not happen.
"I've done what I've had to do in this league, and my son is going to take his journey... So, just because that's my aspiration or my goal, doesn't mean it's his. And I'm absolutely OK with that," he said.
Per Givony, Bronny has "a very high floor because of his frame, his defensive instincts, the way he can make spot-up jumpers, his feel for the game, his competitiveness, his versatility... The sky is the limit for Bronny James. I think he could end up being a lottery pick ultimately."
We're a year away from next year's draft, and while Bronny James has work to do to separate himself from the pack, he'll without a doubt command an oversized amount of the spotlight. In fact, he already is. No one else is already commanding headlines for where they'll be drafted in 2024, after all.
What next year's draft lacks in top-end talent, it more than makes up for with the intrigue of where James lands and its effect on where his father finishes his career.
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