Bronny James Rumors: NBA Executive Gives Honest Assessment of Lakers' Potential Draft Pick
One of the bigger storylines that will dominate the news around the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is about what USC freshman guard Bronny James will do regarding his NBA future. The son of Lakers star LeBron James has the NBA in his sights, but a down year with the Trojans has forced some to push back on that.
It's been a frustrating year all around for James, as he hasn't been able to live up to the hype that surrounded him entering the year. His unfortunate medical delay to start the season has likely played into everything and some believe he should return to college for another season rather than head to the NBA.
A few NBA executives spoke about their assessment of James potentially heading to the NBA next season, with many believing that he should remain at USC for another year.
“We would recommend Bronny go back to college,” an NBA team executive told Jeremy Woo of ESPN. “I’ll be honest, we didn’t have huge expectations for [Bronny] heading into the season. I know some mocks had him as a top-20 pick, but our group didn’t view him as a player of that caliber."
The appeal of the NBA may be too much for the young freshman, but only James knows how comfortable he is making the jump. This is a decision that he needs to make for himself, even if it's not the one that his family may want for him.
“I don’t know exactly what his role is going to be, and I think it’s hard to project him in a half-court setting. He doesn’t have great separation off the bounce, he’s not a really good perimeter shooter, so it’s going to be tough to unlock some of the creation, because I don’t think teams are going to get up on him defensively. They’ll probably allow him some space [until he proves it]."
James would likely be better off staying in college for one more season to develop his skillset a little more, but he is still a very talented player. If he can go to the right team to help him hone his skills, a move to the NBA may work out for him.
The Lakers have been linked with James, mainly due to his father. They could take him in the draft, so this will be something to watch going forward.
