Bronny James has received rare support amid the mounting criticism. The 19-year-old showcased his talents for all the franchises for the first time in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago tonight. And, now the eldest son of LeBron James is just one step short of making his NBA debut, which is getting picked in the Draft. While the critics already went gaga about that, ex-Dubs player Gilbert Arenas urged the Lakers to not think twice and poach the youngster.

In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the panel discussed the Bronny James situation in the NBA world. Amid the noise surrounding his freshman-year performance, Arenas confidently batted for the youngster. At one point, an important question arose: Will he play alongside LeBron James? Arenas instantly said, “I think that’s in the 90s (90% possibility)… drafted with that 17th pick or they have a late second round.” However, one of the panelists, Kenyon Martin, immediately countered.

Martin raised doubts on the Lakers’ grave need for reinforcement in the draft. But, again Arenas confidently said, “But that won’t happen in the draft ain’t no help coming in the draft.” Looking from a different lens, the statement may seem like Arenas casually evaded the question.

Stressing on Kenyon Martin’s point, the Lakers definitely need some help to strengthen their roster. The team’s trust in Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell went in vain, as we remember their postseason misery. On top of it, rumors about D’Lo’s departure option have also taken over the LA side.

Given the circumstances, will the Lakers be able to spend their 17th pick on Bronny, who has averaged 4.8 points, coming off the bench in his lone college year? Notably, the team also has the 55th overall pick. At the same time, it’s unfair to write off Bronny with a single season which he played right after recovering from a cardiac arrest.

Will the Lakers pick Bronny James in the 2024 draft?

Apart from Gilbert Arenas’ confident statement, there are several other reports that solidify the Lakers’ pending act to rope in Bronny James. Before going into the reports, let’s take a look at the official measurements of the 19-year-old from the Draft combine. The rising star was recorded as 6 ‘1.5″ tall without the shoes with a wingspan of 6 ‘7.25″.

Speaking from the Draft Combine, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski posted a positive update about Bronny’s business potential and the Lakers’ call-up. Woj said, “Bronny James is gonna have an impact for organizations not just on the basketball side but potentially on the business side. He is almost assuredly gonna start in the G League”.

“He will pack G League arenas, merchandising. All of those make him an attractive player. So his opportunity to play in the NBA is there,” the ESPN reporter concluded. While Woj suggested opening up the door for the G League, Shams Charania dropped another important update. He revealed that the Lakers have shown interest in roping in the youngster in the upcoming draft during his recent interview. Apart from that, he also stated that King James could play for another two years in the league, making it a case for the first father-son duo on the court.

Will Bronny and LeBron James play together? Let us know in the comments below.