Bronny James’ Draft Declaration Triggers Lakers Legend to Call for Change in NBA Rules

Bronny James is in no mood to take any risks at this point. The 4x NBA champion LeBron James‘ eldest son declared for the 2024 NBA draft. But he has also kept his other options open, including maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal. However, ex-LA Lakers star Robert Horry does not seem to be impressed with this set of arrangements.

He believes that the NBA allowing this setup is, in a way, unfair to the college teams. “That’s one of the rules that I like for the NBA… They should change… I think they still own your draft rights or whatever, or something crazy like that, but either go or stay… Don’t put me on the fence as a team,” he stated, appearing on the ‘Big Shot Bob Podcast’.

Further, Horry noted that he thinks Bronny James should stay with the college this year. “Just build his brand… It ain’t like he needs money,” Rob claimed. It is worth mentioning that, as per the speculations making rounds, Bronny’s decision to declare for the NBA draft was born out of his desire to play with his father. And keeping other options open could be because he is not a very strong NBA draft prospect at the moment.

Notably, the 19-year-old had his season cut short after suffering a cardiac arrest. Though he made a comeback, he has since only played 25 games, appearing in his inaugural season with USC. And the stat line has not been too impressive either, as he has averaged just 4.8 points, with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. However, all is not lost for Bronny James, as a certain section of the NBA community still believes he has a chance at the NBA, especially because certain teams could be looking to lure LeBron through his son.

Opinions from the NBA community on Bronny James’ NBA draft declaration

More than anyone else, LeBron James would want Bronny to be in the NBA. His desire to play with his son as NBA’s father-son-duo has not been a secret to anyone. “I need to be on the floor with my boy… I got to be on the floor with Bronny. Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him…” LeBron had told ESPN back in 2023. 

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However, an NBA general manager has told The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that he does not believe Bronny James to be NBA-ready right now. “He should go back to school to develop at his own pace or he risks getting lost in the shuffle, whether or not he’s playing with his dad,” the GM stated. He also mentioned that if any of the teams pick the 19-year-old, it will just be in hopes of landing his legendary father.

As per some popular beliefs, this team could be none other than the Lakers themselves. And the claims made by Skip Bayless on his show further hinted towards this possibility. “I just believe he’s going to be a Los Angeles Lakers next year, whether you like it or not,” he affirmed.

What is your take on Robert Horry’s suggestion of a change in NBA draft rules? Do you think that Bronny James is making the right decision? Let us know in the comments.

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