Pistons, NBA Teams Can’t Bank on Bronny-LeBron James Package Deal

With Bronny James’ freshman season at USC well underway, many are anticipating the son of LeBron James to enter the NBA sooner rather than later.

Before the young James ever even suited up for the Trojans, there were rumors floating around suggesting that wherever Bronny lands, LeBron would follow so he could join forces with his son at the NBA level.

Of course, the idea of luring in LeBron James is attractive to any team, even at this point in his career, but a recent discussion between ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and agent Rich Paul made it clear that drafting Bronny doesn’t equal recruiting LeBron.

The Latest on Bronny James

"Paul said, the right team doesn't necessarily equate to Bronny James landing on a roster with his father -- although LeBron James would be "head over heels excited if that were to happen organically," Paul added.

"LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man," Paul told ESPN.

Another interesting tidbit added from Paul is that Bronny might not consider a trip to the NBA in 2024, and that’s not due to the idea that he’s slipping in the ranks.

“I don't value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation," Paul told ESPN.

The Impact on the Detroit Pistons

With the Pistons well out of the playoff picture at this point, it’s clear they are going to end up with a high lottery selection and potentially the No. 1 pick. Bronny James might’ve been one of the top players in his High School class a season ago, but his college career has started off a different path.

The 19-year-old freshman guard averaged 20 minutes in 21 games. On the offensive end, he’s produced five points per game while shooting 37 percent from the field. Defensively, he’s averaged three rebounds and one steal per game.

Right now, James is a hard sell as a lottery selection, let alone a top pick. The Pistons will have money to spend in free agency, so they could manage to become an attractive landing spot for some notable veterans, which could be of interest to the James party. However, it’s highly unlikely the Pistons are spending a top pick on James this summer.