Bronny James served as a backup combo guard on a middling Trojans team in 2023-24. USC finished with a 15-18 record and missed the NCAA Tournament, with former head coach Andy Enfield departing for SMU in the offseason.
Across his 25 healthy contests last season, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged just 4.8 points on .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, along with 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals a game. His season got off to a late start because he needed to be cleared after suffering cardiac arrest last July.
Isaiah Collier, who started ahead of James and had been considered a possible lottery prospect heading into 2023-24, fell to the Jazz with the No. 29 pick on Wednesday night.
James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, was apparently contacting rival clubs during the draft to dissuade them from selecting Bronny prior to the Lakers’ pick. According to Bob Myers of ESPN, Paul informed other teams that, if drafted ahead of Los Angeles’ pick, Bronny would explore pro opportunities with the NBL in Australia.
Now, Bronny James join a revamped Lakers team — coached by former NBA-sharpshooter-turned-analyst-and-podcaster JJ Redick — that is angling for an extended playoff run in the West. How many minutes the younger James will earn as likely a deep-bench reserve remains to be seen.
LeBron has been vocal in the past about hoping to play alongside his son, and the second they step foot on the floor together, it will be the first time in league history that a father-son duo has achieved that feat.
LeBron James has a $51.4M player option to return to L.A. next season. With his former podcast co-host coaching the team and his son now joining the team’s roster, it seems like to help the Lakers’ cause.