A year ago, the stock of Bronny James, LeBron James’ son, was rising rapidly. ESPN put him in the top 10 of its mock 2024 draft, and people were tantalized by his potential.
But the younger James struggled as a freshman at the University of Southern California. He averaged 4.8 points a game while shooting a very low percentage from the field, which forced people to reevaluate their opinions of him.
One former NBA executive said his NBA upside would be that of Gary Harris, a merely decent shooting guard for the Orlando Magic. Plenty are now of the opinion that the 19-year-old should stay in school rather than declare for this year’s draft.
But former Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest is optimistic about the younger James’ prospects (h/t Lakers Daily).
“I think he has a good option,” Sandiford-Artest told TMZ Sports when asked what advice he would give James. “He’s very athletic. I still think he hasn’t grown into his body yet. So, I don’t know if he’s going to be top 50 all time. But in terms of his ability to become a really good player, a starting point guard, I think he’ll be a point guard. He obviously can play the 2. But I think with his unselfish play, with his passing ability, like I said, he’s only a freshman.
“So, a lot of people was talking about his numbers, but name a freshman that never averaged more than four or five and then had no chance going pro. Freshman numbers are freshman numbers, right? So, I think he has a shot to be a really good point guard, a starting point guard, maybe even an All-Star.”
Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the James clan is more interested in finding the right developmental environment for the younger James than which team would draft him, should he declare for the draft.
