One of the biggest storylines in college and professional basketball this season is USC freshman Bronny James’s declaration for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Despite having limited production as a freshman in 2024-25, James elected to keep his name in the field and will likely be selected on Wednesday night during the draft.
After producing just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 25 total games played, James declared for the draft with no intention of returning to college basketball. While many believe that the California native could develop into an enticing NBA prospect, the growing consensus among basketball experts is that James would not be selected in the draft if it weren’t for his family name.
One such expert is CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, who discussed the reality of James’ draft stock in a recent interview with SiriusXM’s Zach Gelb, saying, “He wouldn’t be even in the discussion to be drafted if he wasn’t the son of LeBron James.”
Rothsetin’s full comments read, “About a year ago, I was at a USC practice and watching their team work out. I watched Bronny James very closely, and I said, ‘This guy’s got a chance to be a really good multi-year college player, he’s got a chance, I think, to be an exceptional perimeter defender, he’s an underrated passer.’ But unfortunately, delayed gratification was never in the cards for Bronny James.”
While James’ path to the NBA may be an unorthodox one, he will likely hear his name called on Wednesday, June 26th when the 2024 NBA Draft gets underway.
