USC star freshman Bronny James has a big decision brewing in terms of his potential NBA future. Last week, James entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the 2024 NBA draft. Multiple signs point to the 19-year-old sticking with the professional route and joining his father, Laker superstar and NBA icon LeBron James.
Nothing is set in stone just yet. However, the oddsmakers believe the freshman heading to the NBA this summer is a realistic possibility. According to Bookie.com, the NBA is tied for the second-best odds, along with Ohio State University and Kentucky University at +500. Oregon has the lead at +475.
While the Los Angeles Lakers are an ideal spot for Bronny, to play alongside his father, another NBA team is in the running for the 19-year-old, the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Senior NBA writer for The Athletic Sam Vecenie says the 76ers are a team that can sneak up to choose Bronny.
“Outside of LA, the Philadelphia 76ers are the franchise most often brought up by members of other teams. The 76ers have a pair of stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, in addition to max cap space, their own first-round pick, and an aggressive general manager in Daryl Morey.”
“At this point, James is expected to devote his energy to the NBA Draft process in hopes of securing a selection he and his father’s agency, Klutch Sports, would find desirable, multiple league sources tell The Athletic. It is unclear if they have a range of picks in mind or a specific team. But the plan is for James to see what happens over the next couple months before the May 29 withdrawal deadline.”
According to Action Network, the Lakers are the favorite to snag the future Hall of Famer’s son. The purple and gold have the best odds at +350, while the 76ers are right behind them at +900. The Lakers are in a win-now situation, not a development situation, so Bronny to LA doesn’t make sense, at least in terms of being a role player at best. At best, Bronny will be a G league player for the purple and gold.
The freshman averaged 4.8 points per game on 3.6% field-goal shooting, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He played in 25 games and started in six games from 2023 to 2024. I think the best course of action for the younger James is to stay in college. He’s still recovering from a serious heart problem, and it was clear that affected his first year at USC.
Still, it’s hard to turn down the opportunity of possibly playing with your father and living the dream of playing in the NBA.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.