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Why Los Angeles Lakers Should Draft Bronny James, Per NBA Analyst

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics
By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated 5/2/24

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t in a good place right now after getting eliminated by the Denver Nuggets and not knowing whether LeBron James is going to leave in the offseason. But for NBA analyst Rachel Nichols, one good solution to consider is selecting Bronny James in the upcoming draft.

Over the course of 85 games during the regular season, the LeBron James-led Lakers only finished eighth in the Western Conference. Their record of 47 wins and 35 losses meant that in order for the Purple and Gold to gain a playoff spot, they would have to get one via the Play-In Tournament.

Fortunately, LA did so when they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, despite a monster performance by Zion Williamson. However, their dream to win another ring after getting one inside the Bubble in 2020 would come to an end after a Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets team defeated them in four games.

At this point in time, the Lakers are at a crossroads on what to do for next season. Darvin Ham will most likely be terminated and a new head coach will be needed. More importantly, James has a player option for next season and he has the freedom to enter free agency. If he leaves, the franchise may sink in the West and not be relevant anymore.

Rachel Nichols Shares Why Los Angeles Lakers Should Draft Bronny James

One of the ways Los Angeles can keep the King as a Laker is by drafting Bronny James. NBA analyst Rachel Nichols supported this idea, as seen in a video posted on her X account:

No problem with the Lakers leaking they’d draft Bronny. He’d likely be on a minimum contract & spend a lot of time in the G League…hardly a drain on the team. Gordie Howe gave hockey fans all kinds of special moments when he played with his sons; I’d expect this to be the same: pic.twitter.com/7Tle1w3thS

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 1, 2024

Nichols made a lot of good points for Los Angeles to consider. At the end of the day, having Bronny around won’t be a detriment at all and can even add another layer good publicity for the franchise.

The 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled on the end of June and it’ll be known by then which team will select Bronny James if he foregoes college. In any case, it’s going to be a long wait for Lakers fans.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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