Lakers Rival Wanted Bronny James Prior to LA Drafting Him

A Lakers division rival's owner said he would have loved to draft Bronny James last month.

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) competes against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to have an ideal offseason when it comes to adding talent on the roster via trade and free agent singing, but they feel good about the draft they endured in late June.

The Lakers drafted two players who they hope can be game changers down the road: guard Dalton Knecht, whom they drafted on Day 1 of the NBA Draft, and the most polarizing rookie in a long time, Bronny James, whom they drafted with the No. 55 overall pick. James landed in L.A. after speculation that the team his father plays for would draft him. That was the case; however, the Lakers weren't the only team interested in the 19-year-old. As the draft got closer and closer, word around the league was that the Phoenix Suns were interested in possibly drafting James.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia appeared on the Pat McAfee show and expressed how interested he was in drafting James.

"We thought Bronny James would be a great fit here in Phoenix, but the Lakers drafted him," Ishbia said. "I hope he has a great career; he has a great basketball IQ, he does a lot of great things, and he has a lot of pressure. The Lakers drafted him, I wish him the best."

"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 and Suns were the only teams James worked out for leading up to the NBA draft. Ultimately, James wanted to be a Laker, and owner Jeanbie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka made his wish come true. So far, it has not been an ideal Summer League for James, as he's struggled mightily on both sides of the court. Nonetheless, he is still young and will be a work in progress for the next handful of seasons if need be.

James has received praise on what he can become, but that may be further down the road than what Laker fans might want.

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