ESPN insider: Lakers 'trending' toward selecting Bronny James in 2024 NBA Draft

With a week to go until the 2024 NBA Draft, one of the biggest question is when Bronny James will go off the board. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, one team is “trending” toward becoming the answer.

The Los Angeles Lakers could be in play to select James next week, Givony said on “NBA Today” Tuesday afternoon. The son of LeBron James has made an interesting case in the draft after an up-and-down freshman season at USC, and reports indicated he planned to hold workouts with just two teams – the Lakers and the Suns.

While Givony said James has another workout with the Suns before the draft, the Lakers are still in play to take him with the No. 55 overall pick. What makes his situation even more interesting is reports that his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, doesn’t want him to sign a two-way contract.

“I don’t think I’m gonna surprise anybody that we have him 55th to the Lakers. … This is the way that it’s been trending for years now,” Givony said while previewing his next mock draft. “NBA teams that I talked to say they cannot get Bronny James into their building. Teams that are drafting in the late 20s and the 30s – the Phoenix Suns have a second workout scheduled with Bronny later this week, but other than that, we have not seen any NBA team be able to work him out.

“The sense among teams is that his agent, Rich Paul does not want him on a two-way contract. And the range that he’s going to be picked, that 40-58 range, those are where two-way contracts are handed out. So it’s looking, right now, like Bronny James is going to slide there to 55. I don’t think any NBA team wants to pick him and deal with the repercussions of that. So that’s the way it’s trending as of today.”

James appeared in 25 games this year, including six starts, after missing the start of the season as he recovered from cardiac arrest over the offseason. He declared for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entered the transfer portal, as well. However, he ultimately decided to stay in the draft and forego his eligibility.

James arrived on campus as a four-star prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect from the 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 was the only service to rank James as a five-star.