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Bronny James' NBA draft stock was on football legend Keyshawn Johnson's mind recently.
The former wide receiver had some interesting thoughts to share on the All Facts No Brakes podcast regarding James. Johnson cited his own ties to LeBron James and their recent conversation as a basis for concluding that Bronny's next move is far from settled.
After all, as Johnson noted, given LeBron's financial stature, there's certainly no economic reason for Bronny James to feel compelled to dive into the NBA.
Bronny James' NBA draft stock
Podcast co-host Matt Barnes first raised the topic of James' draft situation. Noting Bronny's growing pains at Southern Cal, Barnes indicated that while he felt that Bronny James' talent is NBA-worthy, he believes that the youngster might benefit from another year or even two in college.
However, Barnes acknowledged that the ticking clock is probably a result of LeBron James's long-stated desire to play with his son in the NBA. LeBron is 39 years old, and his current 24.9 points per game is his lowest average since his rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Johnson revealed that in recent conversations with LeBron, the great man had emphasized that the initial consensus that Bronny would be NBA-bound after his freshman year was ill-informed. "Based on what happened to him, with the cardiac arrest situation," asked Johnson, "What's the rush?" Moments later, Johnson cracked, "Ain't no rush. Daddy a billionaire."
Bronny's collegiate struggles
The biggest issue Bronny faced was a July 24 cardiac arrest incident during a workout at Southern Cal. That setback, which stemmed from an undiagnosed heart ailment, and the following medical work-up, delayed James's first appearance to December 10th and undoubtedly impacted his NBA draft stock.
Since then, James has played in 14 games, starting four. He averages 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. His best performance of the year, which likely improved his NBA draft stock, came in the December 30th matchup with Oregon State. James connected on 6-for-11 shooting on his way to 15 points and three assists in the USC loss.
For the year, James is shooting just 37.2% overall while making 27.5% of his 3-point attempts and 65% of his free throws. He is coming off a nine-point, six-assist performance in a home win over Oregon State.
Can Bronny James make it to the NBA in time to play with his father?
ESPN recently projected Bronny James to go undrafted in the upcoming NBA Draft, which likely sparked All Facts No Brakes' discussion of him possibly spending another season or two in college, due in part to his sliding NBA draft stock.
Early mock drafts, before James's heart condition was diagnosed, sometimes had him in the Draft Lottery. Since his relatively underwhelming performances, Bronny James' NBA draft stock has continued to slide. Many still speculate that a pairing with LeBron will be enough motivation for a team to select James, but again, it remains to be seen if he will ultimately stay in the 2024 Draft.
Who will take a chance on Bronny James? Will he stay another year at USC? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
