USC Basketball: Bronny James' NBA Draft Range Revealed By His Agent

Where will the one-and-done ex-Trojan land?

May 14, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Bronny James talks to the media during the 2024 NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

One-and-done USC Trojans freshman reserve combo guard Bronny James is looking to ply his wares at the NBA level this season. Though he has been projected around the second round, his agent Rich Paul thinks he has an opportunity to leap even higher during the 2024 NBA Draft next month.

When asked by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report where he expected James to be drafted, Paul offered up a surprisingly optimistic high-end prognosis: midway through the first round.

"Bronny's range has been all over," Paul said. "Some teams think he goes 20 to 40, some say 30-50, and some teams think he'll go undrafted. It just takes one team. This is something I do every year during the draft process. This is not Bronny-centric. He's a part of our draft class. I have to try to help find the right fit for all my guys as well as the right deal. So that's how I'm looking at it."

Paul went on to candidly unpack how the weight of expectations may have contributed to James' slippage in mock drafts ahead of the offseason.

"There may have been some expectations through social media excitement that may have raised awareness to where people want to see you fail more than they want to see you succeed. Bronny catches a lot of strays from his father's success. But that's all part of it," Paul said.

"I think the thing I'm most impressed with is his character. He could easily be the one walking around with a camera crew, the entitlement and all the trinkets. He's not," Paul observed. "He has a tremendous amount of self-awareness. I know for a fact that he'll be a great teammate and he'll continue to get better."

"Is he a finished product? No, nowhere near," Paul conceded. "Most guys that come in our league aren't at 18 and 19. If his name was different, would he get a different treatment? Yes, probably so. Some may feel like he's getting an opportunity because of his father, and I think that's a very naive logic, especially in America."

As the son of All-Star Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Bronny James would seem to have a leg up in the draft, with teams pining to potentially convince the four-time league MVP to join his son in a possible new locale.

More USC: Bronny James Gets Honest About Being Son of LeBron