Day 2 of the 2024 NBA Draft, ESPN analyst and former Golden State Warriors Executive Bob Myers has debunked some shocking rumors surrounding guard Bronny James through his agent, Rich Paul.
“Rich Paul is calling on teams not to take Bronny James. If they take him, he’ll be going to Australia.”
Bob Myers discusses Bronny James’ draft position pic.twitter.com/p6mWNMAjma
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2024
James, a guard from USC, is currently projected to be the 55th pick. Lakers Time is running out, and Myers said Paul is pulling strings to get James to play with his father, LeBron, in the NBA by instructing teams not to draft him ahead of the Lakers.
If Bronny does indeed get drafted by the Lakers, he and his father would become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time. This would be a big announcement for the rest of the NBA Draft, but it’s not uncommon. In the past, there have been reports and rumors of players sneaking onto teams after their agents told teams not to draft them. Perhaps the most famous example also involved the Lakers, Austin Reeves tells Detroit Pistons not to draft him He could choose his opportunity in Los Angeles on a two-way contract.
Especially in the second round in the modern era, players can force their way into teams that need to fill roster spots, and Bronny would be the next player to do just that.
Bronny is a polarizing player, but this will only add fuel to the fire for those who are detracting from his reputation as a draft prospect. As rumors swirl, the media frenzy surrounding him will only intensify, undermining what could have been a pretty solid NBA career. This rumor, while legitimate, is unlikely to quell the flames anytime soon.
Many NBA draft experts have James rated somewhere around the late second round, but the question now is whether a team will ignore Rich Paul’s bluff and select James. I don’t think so, because Paul is the head agent for Klutch Sports, arguably the most powerful agent in the NBA. If they upset Paul, they risk upsetting other major NBA players who are represented by Klutch Sports.
It will be interesting to see who nominates James and if he is selected at all. Will James actually end up playing in Australia? It seems unlikely, but he is apparently on the radar.
