Lakers Rumor: Rob Pelinka’s Bronny James Strategy Threatened by Rival Team, Putting 7’4 Backup Plan for Anthony Davis at Risk

The upcoming NBA draft on Wednesday is one-of-a-kind in its twisted ways. Even two nights before the two-day event, there is no clear number-one pick. The preferences are constantly switching as NBA teams try to find the gold mine from a fairly regular set of prospects at their disposal. One such player has risen staggeringly within the mock drafts in recent weeks and that is Zach Edey. The two-time National Player of The Year didn’t have much buzz despite his dominating season with Purdue. However, it seems his stock is on the rise, and it could derail the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before the recent weeks, everyone believed that Purple and Gold would get their claws at Edey as the 17th selection in the drafts, but Jonathan Givony feels it will be the other way around. He believes that the 7’4″ center is quickly garnering interest and could be selected within the top 10.

“I think he is going in the top 20. He could go as high as 9 to Memphis. I mean, we talked about with the Clingan segment, you hear them a lot moving up possibly. If they don’t move up, they need a center in the worst way and Zach Edey is clearly the second-best center in this draft after Clingan” he said on Hoops Collective. 

The Grizzlies have been in dire need of a big, especially after losing Xavier Tillman and Steven Adams’ recent injury history. The Purdue giant could fit in perfectly, offering incredible spacing for a shifty guard like Ja Morant while also applying pressure near the paint. If the Grizzlies do steal him, it could spell problems for the Lakers.

Until now, it was believed the Lakers would land Edey and Bronny James with their two selections in the drafts. But the 19-year-old son of LeBron James has also worked out with the Phoenix Suns, who hold the 22nd pick. If they do lose Edey to the Grizzlies or any other team, Pelinka might have his hand forced to pick Bronny early in the first round to avoid losing him to Phoenix, eventually.

This will only remain true if the Lakers view Bronny James as a win-now component as they did with Zach Edey hoping he would add depth to their center position and play behind Anthony Davis. Bronny doesn’t have near the excellence of Edey in his single college season but is determined to translate his skill set into the NBA.

As he has claimed before, Bronny James only wants to hear his name being called out and doesn’t care whether it’s the Lakers who draft him. Similarly, Rich Paul made it clear that the Lakers signing LeBron James’ son doesn’t necessarily warrant him re-signing back with them. As the draft gets closer, it seems the NBA realm could be in for a major shock if the Grizzlies do pull the trigger on Edey.

Bronny James will most likely fall to the second round

As much as there is a looming fear that Bronny James could go off the board early, it is highly unlikely. The reason for this is his positioning that has been monitored by his agent Rich Paul. During the pre-draft process, the USC alumnus only worked out with two teams, the Lakers and the Suns.

It was probably a ‘design’ by Paul himself, who communicated to teams around the league the parameters required for them to even consider scheduling a workout with James. It included them offering a guaranteed deal rather than a two-way contract, which Paul considers to be an unlikely move for his client.

According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Sports, the little information on Bronny James and his robust conditions to draft him have shunned most teams out of the way. It is believed he will drop to the second round where the Purple and Gold will pick with 55th or he could go undrafted and then sign with the Lakers similar to Austin Reaves.

Either way, it seems the father-son pair-up is on the horizon, even though it wasn’t a priority for either party.

If you want to learn about the classic Lakers and the beef between Shaq and Kobe Bryant, make sure to listen to our conversation with Big Diesel’s ex-agent Leonard Armato in this video below.