Are the Lakers manipulating the Draft to select Bronny? Understand

It seems that the Los Angeles Lakers I would be considering selecting Bronny James at the Draft from the NBA 2024. The shipowner of University of Southern California is expected late in the second round of the draft. Therefore, the projection is that the Angelinos will select him in 55th position. But, according to the North American “ESPN” analyst, Stephen A. Smiththe possibility of the California franchise choosing the child of LeBron James It is a clear manipulation within the league.

“So much of what is happening seems so transparent it is insulting. You have a situation where Bronny is projected to be 98th in the rankings. So, he goes to the combine and 'drops' 44 spots, to 54 (…) and the Lakers have the 55th pick. At some point, it's like everything is too obvious.”, said the analyst. Indeed, the young point guard was never a certainty in the league's recruitment, integrating the lists of the top 50 prospects in the USA.

Bronny played on youth teams and was then elected a McDonald's All American. But since then, the young man collapsed on the court and needed heart surgery. Then, at USC, he recorded very low averages of 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, in addition to shooting just 36%, in around 19 minutes per game. Still, his performance at the Combine impressed scouts and forced interviews with several franchises.

In the case of the Lakers, however, the team's possibility of selecting Bronny goes through LeBron. After all, the number 23 has already stated on several occasions that he wants to play alongside his son. According to the journalist Shams Charaniafrom “The Athletic”, in fact, the movement is getting closer. “The Lakers are very open to the possibility of helping LeBron achieve his dream of playing with Bronny. Thus, selecting him in the Draft. So in a perfect world, the Los Angeles team would have him back and potentially draft Bronny James.”he commented.

However, Bronny has already assured that he only wants to be selected in the Draft and that he is not worried about playing alongside his father. “I think at the moment I'm just focused on getting to the league. That's the hardest thing. So I'm not worried about whether I'm going to play with my dad or anything like that. It's not my mindset these days. I’m working hard on this process, and I’ll see where it takes me later.”he stated.