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Betting Sportsbook Says Lakers Are Heavy Favorites to Draft Bronny James

Is he destined to become a Laker?

Jason Fray

Bronny James
Bronny James / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Where will Bronny James be playing next season?

It's really anyone's guess -- and that includes the actual level of competition. James recently entered both the 2024 NBA Draft and the NCAA transfer portal. James could stay in college and play elsewhere next year. He could theoretically return to USC.

Or -- as many assume -- James could stick in the NBA Draft.

Draft Kings Sportsbook recently came out with a list of odds about James and where he may end up should he pursue a career in the NBA. Unsurprisingly, one team tops the list as a heavy favorite:

The Los Angeles Lakers are +350 favorites to draft James. The next team listed is the Philadelphia 76ers at +900. The hometown Cleveland Cavaliers are listed at +1000.

As a reserve guard, James averaged 4.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG on 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from three. To be fair to the young guard, he was working his way back from a serious health issue involving his heart.

This delayed his debut with the Trojans and ultimately stunted his freshman year from a development standpoint. There are questions as to whether he's a legitimate NBA prospect at this point in his career.

James could stand to stick in college for a few more years as a means to grow his game. He's a plus athlete and a very willing defender/passer. However, he's still inconsistent with his perimeter shot -- and James -- despite being generously listed at 6'4" -- doesn't have point guard skills.

All of this might be moot. As a means to appease James, the Lakers could opt to take James in the second round of this year's draft. Or, potentially, James could tell other franchises to not take his son in order for the Lakers to scoop him up as a free agent.

Either way, this is a very fascinating story -- and one which won't be over anytime soon.

Published
Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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