NBA Rumors: LeBron James' son, Bronny James, may be preparing to wait until the 2025 NBA Draft before he makes the move to the Association.
The 2024 NBA Draft may not have an elite headlining name at the moment but heading into the draft season, USC guard Bronny James had emerged as a prospect to watch considering he is the son of LeBron James. Being graded on a curve, there was a scenario that played out with Bronny declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft and then being taken as a way to open the door for LeBron to fulfill a dream of his that consists of playing with his son.
However, that dream may have to wait. At least a year. According to an early 2025 NBA Mock Draft, ESPN draft experts are now listing Bronny as a 2025 prospect. This is not a straight decision from Bronny but perhaps an indication that the belief around the league is that he's probably going to return to school for a sophomore season.
Considering he missed the start of the season and the fact that he's only averaging six points and three rebounds on 37 percent shooting from the field, it makes even more sense for Bronny to possibly hold off on making himself draft-eligible.
Bronny James has a big decision to make regarding his future
Even though Bronny hasn't impressed much during his freshman season at USC, the hype surrounding him was so real that there were even a few mocks that included Bronny in their projections, mostly based on his hype and the fact that LeBron wants to play with him at some point before his NBA career is over. However, it's not all that surprising that Bronny is now being considered a 2025 NBA Draft class prospect.
Of course, that could all change with one decision from Bronny but considering that he would very much benefit from returning to school next season, it would be surprising if it didn't happen. After all, I'm not sure there are many, if any, that are willing to burn a draft pick on a prospect who has yet to prove he can be a player at the next level.
This is not to say that Bronny wouldn't get an opportunity to prove himself; he surely would. However, it would be a huge difference if Bronny was selected in the first round rather than getting a tryout on a training camp invite.
If Bronny genuinely wants a shot to carve out a real NBA career, it's probably in his best interest to return to school and continue developing. And it's beginning to seem as if that's exactly what's going to end up happening.
And objectively, it's probably the best possible move forward for Bronny at this point in what is hopefully a long basketball career.