After a solid combine performance, Bronny James foregoes the remainder of his college eligibility to remain in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Most of the talk surrounding Bronny has been about where his father could join him (the Suns have been mentioned as the most recent possibility). Little has been said about where his abilities make the most sense.
These are the teams where you could potentially thrive and have a better chance of contributing sooner rather than later.
Bronny James scouting report
Bronny has received countless advantages in his quest to become an NBA player, but he has legitimate skills that make him a true prospect. He has good athleticism, shot well in high school and is a high-feel player who makes clutch passes.
Bronny’s calling card will be that of defender. He has a nice wingspan at 6-7, giving him the same measurements as two-time defensive guard Avery Bradley. He’s solid on the ball thanks to those great tools, he’s good at navigating screens and, most importantly, he cares about that end of the floor.
While other prospects are mostly compared to superstars, Bronny mentioned Jrue Holiday, Davion Mitchell and Derrick White as players he would like to emulate. Those three are great defenders who are not centerpieces of their team’s offense. Bronny knows what his role will be, which will be vital to his success.
“One of the main reasons guys get stuck in the G League is because they don’t understand the position they’re trying out for.” Alex Caruso once told JJ Redick in his podcast “The Old Man and the Three”. “It’s like going to a job interview and you think you’re going to be the CFO of the company and they’re looking for someone to clean the bathrooms.”
Caruso went undrafted in 2016, but has carved out a fantastic career by embracing defense. Bronny will have to do the same to succeed in the NBA.
So where can Bronny thrive as a defense-first guard whose role on offense will be to move the ball and shoot open 3-pointers? These are the landing spots that make the most sense.
Bronny James lands spot in 2024 NBA Draft
Lakers
The Lakers remain the most likely place for Bronny for several reasons, obviously starting with his father. They also have the 55th pick, which is where they make fun of Bronny.
The adjustment in Los Angeles makes sense. The Lakers were missing the point-of-attack defense that Dennis Schroder brought to the team during the Western Conference Finals. If they retain D’Angelo Russell, he will still be the target in the playoffs.
Bronny could be a nice change of pace and open the floor for the team’s best options.
Suns
The Suns were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs due to their complete lack of bench depth. They are a second team, which means the only avenues they have to sign new players are through minimum contracts and draft picks.
finished phoenix a mediocre 13th in defense this season. It was also 25th in 3-point attempts. Jordan Goodwin came to the team as part of the Bradley Beal trade in hopes of providing some defense and secondary playmaking. He never found his rhythm and was traded midseason. Bronny might be a better answer in that type of role.
There is interest between both parties. The Suns are reportedly the only team besides the Lakers that Bronny has agreed to coach for. They only have the 22nd pick in the first round, which would be a reach for Bronny. Trading until the second half of the second round is always an option.
Heat
The Heat’s grueling strength and conditioning regimen isn’t for everyone. It takes a tough player with a lot of character to be successful there. Given the criticism Bronny has already endured, he clearly has the thick skin that is a staple of Miami players.
There is no better place for player development than the Heat. They have mined diamonds in the rough too many times to count. And coach Erik Spoelstra always finds ways to get the most out of his players.
Bronny would play well alongside some of the Heat’s best scorers like Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, taking on more difficult defensive assignments to cover those players’ weaknesses. His defense at the point of attack would pair well with Bam Adebayo.
The Heat have the 43rd pick in the draft where they could select Bronny.
Mavericks
How about being Mr. Irrelevant of the 2024 NBA Draft? The Mavericks have the last pick of the second round, at No. 58. They have built a great team around Luka Doncic by finding players who can defend and shoot threes. That sounds pretty good for Bronny’s skills.
Dallas has already developed a player with a similar trajectory to Bronny in the 2020 draft, Josh Green. Green is a hard-working defender who improved from a terrible 16.0 percent 3-point shooting as a rookie to 38.7 percent over the past three seasons. He has carved out a good spot in the team’s rotation.
Jason Kidd has also reversed the narrative surrounding him and earned credit as a good head coach. He had a guard with the same wingspan in Michael Carter-Williams in Milwaukee. Kidd turned him into a defensive specialist, using that big wingspan in ultra-aggressive coverages to generate plenty of steals. He could do the same with Bronny.
