The Miami Heat are well-known around the NBA for finding “diamonds in the rough” and making legitimate rotation players out of other teams’ discards. Players such as Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson went unnoticed before landing prominent roles in Miami, and the Heat‘s selection of small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the first round of the 2023 draft already looks like tremendous value for an 18th overall pick.
Bronny James isn’t a gem that needs uncovering — as the eldest son of LeBron James, Bronny hails from basketball royalty and was a heavily-recruited prospect out of high school. His freshman season at USC has been impacted by an offseason cardiac arrest incident — but even limited playing time hasn’t stopped the Heat from keeping an eye on the son of arguably their greatest-ever player.
“The Heat are out there doing it”
According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Heat scout Adam Simon was spotted watching Bronny James warm up prior to a recent USC game, writing down notes and observations about the Trojans‘ freshman guard — and generating plenty of speculation as to what Miami is thinking.
Brian Windhorst says that if you're a good player in LA, the Heat will find you:
"This guy that I know … sent me a video of Bronny [James] warming up, and right behind him in the first row taking notes is Adam Simon. The Heat are out there doing it."https://t.co/n4Jb4KCHQV pic.twitter.com/4hbMXn7w5K
— Locked On Heat (@LockedOnHeat) January 5, 2024
The Heat may simply have been doing due diligence with college prospects, but Miami does have a special relationship with the James family. LeBron won two NBA championships in four years with Miami after arriving as a free agent in 2010, kickstarting an era of superteams and “Big Three” superstar trios that continues to the present day.
Bronny is already showing glimpses of first-round ability, although the health scare he endured prior to the season has led coach Andy Enfield to be more cautious and deliberate about how he deploys the 19-year-old. On average, he is playing just under 17 minutes per game, recording 7.5 points per night on 50 percent shooting from the field.
Bronny James off the bench tonight:
◾️ 10 PTS
◾️ 4-6 FG
◾️ 3 AST
◾️ 18 MINS pic.twitter.com/GqBm27LRCs— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 4, 2024
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, LeBron James continues to play at an All-Star level in his 21st NBA season. The 39-year-old is averaging 25 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds a night — but a flawed Lakers team has lost eight of its last 10 games, sinking to 17-18 overall and 10th in the Western Conference.
James has a player option for the 2024/25 season — and if he is unhappy with the Lakers’ direction, he could simply opt out of his contract and hit the free agent market again. If the Heat are already keeping tabs on Bronny, perhaps coach Erik Spoelstra and top executive Pat Riley are considering reuniting with LeBron as well in a bid to get both Jameses in south Florida.
Bill Simmons’ trade idea:
Miami Heat receive:
LeBron James
Gabe VincentLA Lakers receive:
Kyle Lowry
Duncan Robinson
Nikola Jovic
First-round pick(Via Bill Simmons Podcast) pic.twitter.com/UDeVhWANnr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 5, 2024
