Bronny James brushes off the possibility of NBA teams drafting him

Bronny James is participating in the ongoing 2024 NBA draft Combine and is exhibiting flashes of excellent performance. On Tuesday, the guard sat down for a media circuit where questions arose about the possibility of him playing with his father, LeBron James.

Ever since Bronny James declared for the NBA draft, rumors have been circulating about the eagerness of teams to draft him in hopes of signing his father LeBron. The veteran forward has a player option this summer and could use it to transfer out of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny dismissed the rumors and questioned the possibility of such an action. (via AP)

“This is a serious business,” he said. “I don’t feel like there would be a thought of ‘I’m just drafting this kid just because I’m gonna get his dad.’ I don’t think a GM would really allow that. I think I’ve put in the work and I’ll get drafted because of not only the player but the person that I am.”

“My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself and, of course, get to the NBA,” he added. “I never thought about playing with my dad. But of course, he’s brought it up a couple times.”

Many experts believe that Bronny needs a few years either in college or in the G League before he is NBA-ready.

Bronny James’ draft stock takes a hit on day 2 of NBA draft Combine

After he was medically cleared to play for the NBA, Bronny James surprised all his critics with excellent performances on Monday. He finished second in 3-point drills as he made 19-of-25 shots and also had a 40.5″ max vertical.

However, things took a turn on Tuesday during the 5v5 scrimmage. Bronny James scored four points going 2-for-8 and took four rebounds in 19 minutes of game time as his Team St. Andrews lost 89-81 to Team Forehan-Kelly. Experts fear that this could negatively impact his already-low draft stock.

Despite declaring for the NBA draft, Bronny James has maintained his college eligibility and has entered the transfer portal after a lone freshman season with the USC Trojans. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games.

For now, Bronny James is focused on getting himself into the league and is ready to put in the work.

“I would be happy about getting to the league instead of me thinking about playing with my dad,” James said. “That’s not my mindset or not at all. I’m just trying to put in the work and see where it takes me from there.” (via ESPN)

Bronny has until May 19 to turn his fortunes around. After that, he must either forgo his college eligibility or withdraw from the draft process by May 29. The 2024 NBA Draft will be held on 26 & 27 June in New York.

What do you think are Bronny James’ chances at making it through the draft and into the league? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.