Bronny James Yet To Get Full Health Clearance As Jeanie Buss Turns Aggressive With NBA Draft‬ Picks

As the LA Lakers gear up for the off-season, Bronny James has a huge hurdle to cross. A few days ago, the 19-year-old eldest son of LeBron James created a frenzy in the NBA world regarding his 2024 draft entry. In return, he faced a lot of criticism for signing for the big league despite a poor run in college freshman year. While he remained unfazed by them, he has a new hurdle in front of him in the form of a full health clearance along with the Lakers’ front office’s pending aggressive off-season moves.

During the 2023 summer, Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest during his practice session at USC. The star eventually recovered and was given full clearance to compete in the NCAA tournament. The lack of preparation reflected his performance, as he averaged only 4.8 points in 25 games. While the guard’s future remained a puzzle, Shams Charania revealed, “They (Lakers) do have interest in bringing Bronny in as a draft pick,” but there is a twist.

Charania stated that James Jr. would begin his preparation anytime soon for the upcoming season. But, he has to get full health clearance again before working out.

On the other hand, another The Athletic reporter, Jovan Buha, dropped a glimpse into Jeanie Buss’ plans for the off-season. He revealed that the Lakers will look to find their third superstar alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. And also strengthen their roster, considering their draft scenario.

Answering a fan’s question on the Lakers’ 2024 draft scenario, Buha said, “It will be the first time that they could use all three of their tradable first-round picks… it’s the first time they’ll have more than one pick at their disposal. And my understanding is that they are going to be aggressive. And they’re going to be active…. they’re going to try and use that.”

Can Bronny James make a dent in the Lakers uniform?

The rising star certainly has a lot of mouths to shut down after the freshman year. On top of that, he has to clear his medical examination before even stepping on the court. Health clearance may seem like a scary business from the outside but it has been regular in the NBA since 2006.

The NBA became the first sporting league in the world to standardize cardiac screening, according to the NY Times. It came in after the Chicago Bulls traded Eddy Curry to the NY Knicks, citing his heart condition. However, the cardiologists cleared that Curry was all good to play in the league. Since the incident, the league has made it mandatory for every franchise to carry out cardiac screening every year before the training camp.

Bronny James will undergo a similar procedure before preparing himself for the rookie season alongside his dad. The LA side might have a lot of changes in the off-season. While Darvin Ham is already dismissed, fans can expect a lot of other trades happening in the summer. However, amid that noise, Bronny could find his rhythm and make a promising return to basketball.