Bronny James continues his rise as an elite high-school hoops prospect.
James, who will turn 18 in October, made the most of his final summer of AAU ball. Thanks to his savvy play and continued development, he improved upon his composite ranking slightly, from the 43rd best player in the class of 2023 to the 41st, per 247Sports.com.
As Bronny James’ high-school career nears its end, the noise surrounding the potential of him playing alongside his father, Lakers superstar LeBron James, gets louder and louder.
There’s no better time than now to provide a reminder that LeBron has never been shy about his intentions to play alongside his son, Bronny, on an NBA floor.
During IMDb TV’s top class, which chronicled Bronny’s Sierra Canyon High School team, LeBron is on record saying, “I want [Bronny] to get to the NBA … I want to be on the court with him, I think that would be an unbelievable moment.”
LeBron has since doubled down on that statement, telling The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd that “my last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
While it’s not about the money and a package deal of LeBron James and Bronny James would be a hit for any team’s box office, is it a realistic scenario? Here’s what it would take for the idea of the NBA’s first father-son teammate duo to become a reality.
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Will LeBron James play with his son?
It’s not as far of a long shot as it may seem but still depends on a few things falling in place. Bronny, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, is an elite prospect, but making it to the NBA is hard.
With respect to two-way contracts, there are only 510 roster spots in the league. There’s no one linear path for Bronny to take, but there are a few things to consider.
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Bronny James’ status as an NBA prospect
That Bronny James is currently ranked between 35 and 45 according to both 247Sports and ESPN should not take away from the fact that he is an impressive basketball player.
There are thousands of high school players in the nation and James is considered to be better than over 99 percent of them. He also showed out against elite competition this summer.
Bronny James just had one of his best games ever 💪 @NikeEYB
28 PTS
6 AST
3 REB
5 3PM pic.twitter.com/odU3ZAcATG— Overtime (@overtime) July 18, 2022
For what it’s worth, Malaki Branham was the 38th-ranked recruit in the class of 2021 and was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. Take that as a reminder to not put too much stock into high school rankings.
MORE: Bronny James scouting report
When can Bronny James enter the NBA Draft?
Per the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, a player must be at least 19 years of age during the calendar year in which the draft is held and at least one year should have elapsed since the player’s graduation from high school.
That said, James could enter the 2024 NBA Draft, which falls one year after he graduates from high school in 2023. James, whose birthday is Oct. 6, 2004, would turn 20 ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The only way James could enter the league earlier would be the result of a change in the collective bargaining agreement or an early enrollment into college, though some believe he will not play college basketball.
Will LeBron James still be playing at an elite level when Bronny joins the NBA?
By now, history should have taught us to not count LeBron out. Like, ever.
The 2021-22 season may have been a struggle for the Lakers but in his 19th NBA season, James earned Third Team All-NBA honors while averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists over 56 games.
Whether it’s in 2023-24 or 2024-25, it’s hard to imagine James having that significant of a drop off to where he’s not a plus on the court for any franchise.
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James, who was born on Dec. 30, 1984, will be 40 ahead of the 2024-25 season, which, as it stands, will be the earliest that Bronny is eligible to join the NBA.
LeBron could become a free agent following the 2023-24 season. Based on his knowledge and tendency to make calculated decisions, his free agency could be impacted by the big picture of playing with Bronny.
Since drafting Bronny could be a pathway to signing LeBron, it’s not far-fetched to think a team with a bevy of draft capital would do it.
Let’s just let Bronny finish up high school before we get too ahead of ourselves.
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