Bronny James is now a “legitimate” NBA Draft prospect and is climbing up the expert rankings

Bronny James entered the NBA Draft Combine this week as a potential undrafted free agent after the USC Trojans had a poor freshman season.

James' main reason for being in the spotlight was that his father was one of the greatest players in basketball history. LeBron James also hasn't shied away from playing with his son in the NBA, which has led to speculation that a team might sign Bronny to lure LeBron.

Any way we spin it, this week at the combine was absolutely amazing for the younger James. He needed to establish himself as a viable prospect ahead of next month's NBA draft.

Apparently that was the case.

“It was a positive week in Chicago for Bronny James. He's moved into the late second round of our latest predictions. We'll have it at 54 in our next update. That’s way up from the back end of the top 100. When you talk to NBA people out here, they feel like he’s legitimized himself as a real NBA prospect.”

ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Bronny James

There were previously several reports that Bronny might not be drafted again next month. While the late second-round selection can't be viewed as a huge step up, it does give him more time to impress teams with individual visits leading up to the annual event.

Related: NBA insider reveals whether the Los Angeles Lakers plan to sign Bronny James with the 17th overall pick

Bronny James' latest report throws the 2024 NBA Draft into disarray

This year's edition of the NBA Draft is considered the weakest in recent league history. With James now moving up the draft boards, we could see the dynamic changing a lot.

Will a team reach for Bronny late in the first round to lure LeBron from the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA free agency? LeBron is expected to opt out of his contract. And while there are signs that he will return to Southern California, much of that will depend on the Lakers' plans and whether James agrees with the direction they are taking.

As for Bronny, he turned heads at the combine when he was asked about playing with his dad at the next level.

“No never. My dream was always just to get my name out there, make a name for myself and get to the NBA, which is the end goal of everyone here. I never thought about just playing with my dad, but “He’s brought it up a few times, of course. But yeah, I don’t think about it much.”

Bronny James on whether it's his dream to work with his father

As a freshman last season, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 37% shooting for the Trojans. He was able to return to the court after suffering cardiac arrest during USC practice in July. James has since been cleared for the NBA draft.