Bronny James' NBA draft range revealed by his agent

Bronny James, the USC Trojans' freshman reserve combo guard who is back on the roster after just one year away, is looking to play at the NBA level this season. Although he was projected to be a second-round pick, his agent Rich Paul believes he has a chance to jump even higher in the 2024 NBA Draft next month.

When asked by Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes where he expected James to be drafted, Paul gave a surprisingly optimistic high-end prediction: mid-first round.

“Bronny's range has been very wide,” Paul said. “Some teams think he'll go 20 to 40, some say 30 to 50, and some teams think he'll go undrafted. It just takes a team. That's something I do every year during the draft process. That's not Bronny-centric. He's part of our draft class. I have to try to find the right fit and the right deal for all of my guys. That's how I look at it.”

Paul further openly explained how high expectations may have contributed to James' slide in the preseason mock drafts.

“Perhaps the excitement on social media has created certain expectations that may have raised awareness that people would rather see you fail than succeed. Bronny has a lot of role models from his father's success. But that's all part of it,” Paul said.

“I think what impresses me most is his character. He could easily be the guy walking around with a camera crew, the sense of entitlement and all that stuff. But he's not,” Paul noted. “He has a tremendous amount of confidence. I know for a fact he's going to be a great teammate and he's going to get better and better.”

“Is he a finished product? No, not by a long shot,” Paul admitted. “Most of the guys that come into our league aren't 18 or 19 years old. If his name was different, would he be treated differently? Yes, probably. Some people might think he's getting a chance because of his father, and I think that's a very naive logic, especially in America.”

As the son of Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James, Bronny James may have an advantage in the selection process, with teams eager to convince the four-time league MVP to join his son at a potential new location.

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