Report: Surprise Western Conference team almost drafted Bronny James, decided to 'respect the wishes' of LeBron

The Los Angeles Lakers made history during the 2024 NBA Draft when they selected Bronny James with the 55th overall pick and paired him with his father, LeBron James.

There had been rumors leading up to the event that the USC product could land with another squad, such as the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns or Toronto Raptors. It always seemed most likely that Bronny would end up with the Lakers, however.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on Friday morning that there was at least one more notable team in the mix for the 19-year-old.

"(Lakers head coach JJ Redick) stood next to (vice president of operations Rob Pelinka) as the Golden State Warriors, who had tried to trade for James last season, weighed whether to take Bronny at No. 52," Shelburne wrote. "The Warriors liked Bronny's skill set and had him on their draft board, sources said. Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who held the 55th pick, would've been a shrewd move — perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent. But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant."

LeBron was in the middle of trade rumors last winter before agent Rich Paul made it clear in early February that his most famous client was staying with the organization. Five months later, LeBron agreed to a new two-year, $104M maximum contract with the Lakers.

The Warriors lost longtime "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson to the Mavericks in the offseason but still have franchise icons Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in the fold. Seeing Bronny sharing the backcourt with Curry, facing off against the latter's dad, would've been a surreal scene, but witnessing the father-son duo will be even more special for Lakers fans during the 2024-25 campaign.