What NBA personnel are saying about Bronny James after successful pro day

The overwhelming belief coming from the NBA Draft Combine was that Bronny James had shown enough for a team to want to draft him in June. Which team will end up with Bronny and where in the draft he will be selected remains the ultimate mystery due to teams continuing to get their best look at him.

James’ pro day on Wednesday offered yet another glimpse at what type of player Bronny can be at the next level. There are a few teams that do not want any part of the madness associated with pursuing James. There are also teams that aren’t completely convinced that he is a draftable player at this point. However, the overarching belief is that there will be a team early in the second round that will want to either select or trade up to grab Bronny, not because of his namesake but because of the potential he possesses.

Who knows? Perhaps James will be pursued by a team at the end of the first round.

“The kid has potential,” one NBA executive who was granted anonymity to speak freely told ClutchPoints following Bronny’s pro day. “It’s great to see him healthy, and more importantly, it’s great to see him be his own player. So much has been made about him following in LeBron’s footsteps, but over the last week, we’ve seen a young man who is a lot more mature than others in this draft. He can actually be an impactful bench player early on in his career.

“You can’t teach athleticism and defensive instincts. Those are two major strengths we’ve checked off for James leading up to the draft.”

What teams have wanted to see the most from Bronny is simply him on the court and playing at a high level. While at USC this past year, James wasn’t really utilized off the bench. Whether this was due to health concerns or something else, the fact of the matter is that Bronny didn’t play much during his freshman year in college for reasons out of his control.

To see him go through various agility and speed tests at the NBA Draft Combine, followed by various workouts and scrimmages, has allowed teams to truly see what kind of player Bronny can be. It is definitely true that James would be told to go back to college if he wasn’t LeBron’s son. Then again, why develop at the college level when you could do so in the NBA?

“There is going to be a team that takes a swing on Bronny, likely in the second round, because they know they have time to spend fine-tuning his craft,” a scout who was in attendance for the NBA Draft Combine and James’ pro day on Wednesday told ClutchPoints. “When you get to the second round of the draft, teams are looking for potential, as well as players who can round out their bench. Brony has shown flashes of his strength as a defender, and I don’t get the questions being asked about if he can shoot because he’s been one of the better perimeter threats we’ve seen. The confidence in his shot and how smooth it looks coming out of his hands is why Bronny will be drafted.”

With less than five weeks until the draft, Bronny saw himself as the prospect who moved up the most in ClutchPoints’ 2024 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0. One of the biggest winners at the combine, James’ projection is only expected to increase as the draft nears.

Scouts and executives have really taken advantage of their opportunities to see and speak with Bronny throughout the pre-draft process. His positive personality is something multiple NBA personnel have raved about.

“He is a team-first player,” a second anonymous executive stated. “Whoever drafts Bronny will know that they’re getting a hard-working 19-year-old who is willing to put in the time to better himself on the court. Whether or not he can truly become an impactful talent is yet to be seen. There is clear work to be done in terms of his strength and shot selection.”

Bronny is the only person who can control his fate at this point. As long as he continues to perform well in front of teams, including in interviews, the chances of him going earlier in the draft will only increase. Teams want to continue to see more from Bronny leading up to June’s draft.

Between now and then, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if James secures a promise from a team with an early second-round pick.