Bronny James’ arrival in the NBA may come later than some may have been expecting, and that could delay his father LeBron’s dream of the two men playing in the league at the same time.
The son of the Los Angeles Lakers star is no longer listed in ESPN’s 2024 mock draft, and the network has moved the 19-year-old into its mock draft for 2025 instead.
The younger James is playing his freshman season at the University of Southern California. His collegiate debut was delayed after he suffered a cardiac arrest during the summer and needed time to recover.
He is averaging 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per outing across slightly more than 20 minutes per game in his 19 appearances for USC, which has a record of 11-16.
Notably, even in its 2025 mock draft, ESPN does not have the younger James tabbed as a first-round pick, slotting him in the second round at No. 39 overall. So, even if he chooses to play another year of college ball to work on his game, there is no guarantee it will markedly improve his draft stock.
One former NBA executive recently compared the younger James to current Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris when it comes to upside. Harris was a first-round pick (No. 19 overall) back in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Of course, the younger James could still declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, which may remain the most likely path.
