USC Basketball: West Team Had Interest In Bronny James Before Lakers Drafted Him

They were one of several teams interested in Bronny.

Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to the 2024 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers were the only two teams former USC men's basketball guard Bronny James participated in pre-draft workouts with. Several other teams had interest in Bronny, but Bronny's agent, Rich Paul, then reportedly told teams other than the Suns and Lakers not to draft Bronny or he would go play in Australia instead.

The Suns certainly were interested in Bronny as a player prior to the draft, which Suns owner Mat Ishbia elaborated on during an appearance on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show."

"We really liked Bronny, we thought he was a good player," Ishbia said. "I know the Lakers drafted him, I hope he has a great career. He's got a great basketball IQ, and he does a lot of great things. ... The son of one of the greatest of all time, he's got a lot of pressure for him. We thought Bronny James would be a great fit here in Phoenix but the Lakers drafted him."

"We thought Bronny James would be a great fit here in Phoenix but the Lakers drafted him..

We want Phoenix to be a destination and it's always a positive thing when players wanna come here" ~ @Mishbia15 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Gjmy0j1MyU

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 17, 2024

The Lakers drafted Bronny instead, as they held the pick before the Suns in the second round. After the Lakers took Bronny No. 55 overall, the Suns grabbed Kevin McCullar Jr. out of Kansas with the No. 56 pick.

The former Trojan has begun his NBA careerthis summer in the NBA Summer League, where his shooting and scoring troubles from college have continued to be a struggle for the 19-year-old. At USC, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Bronny James is 0-14 from three in the summer league pic.twitter.com/5u4B21NlyT

— Daniel Keyser (@G0PACKGO10) July 16, 2024

Bronny has appeared in four games this summer, averaging 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 22.4% from the field. He is 0-14 on three-point attempts.

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