Utah Jazz 'Could Be Interested' in Drafting Bronny James, per NBA Insider

The Jazz hold the 10th, 29th, and 32nd picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Bronny James / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Bronny James' quest to elevate his draft stock began this week as the former USC guard participated in the 2024 NBA draft combine. James did all kinds of physical testing and participated in scrimmages with his fellow draft hopefuls. His father, LeBron, was in attendance along with his mother, Gloria.

The early news coming out of the combine suggests James is on his way to accomplishing what he set out to do. On Thursday, Yahoo! Sports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek reported the Utah Jazz "could be interested" in taking James with the 32nd pick in the 2024 draft, which is the second selection of the second round.

"The Jazz have expressed interest in bringing Bronny in for an individual workout and could be interested in him with the 32nd pick, sources told Yahoo Sports," Peek wrote. "The franchise has been patiently rebuilding behind the leadership of Danny Ainge, and bringing in Bronny with the hopes of luring a superstar like LeBron could be the jump owner Ryan Smith is looking for to add a spark to the Jazz."

James going as high as No. 32 would probably be considered a win for him considering he's viewed as a mid-second rounder at this stage. If that. The only other team "linked" to James so far has been the Los Angeles Lakers, picking 55th, and they are the obvious team to take James given they want to keep LeBron around for as long as possible.

The Jazz organization would not be the worst place in the world for James to develop, either. They are still in no rush to win after two relatively successful rebuilding seasons. They also have plenty of assets, so using a pick on James would not come at great opportunity cost. Utah has invested a few picks in the backcourt already but no one has made themselves irreplaceable yet so there could be a place in the rotation for James in the future, should he pan out.

However, the Jazz will probably end up disappointed if they select James with the hope of luring his father to Utah. Not only has LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, been going around telling teams that he's not just going to follow Bronny wherever he goes, the Jazz are also not set to contend while LeBron can still play at a high level. The roster as currently constructed has no path to championship contention. LeBron is turning 38 years old next year.

Maybe down the road he'll accept a minor role in the twilight of his career to play with his son, but that glimmer of a hope isn't enough to justify Utah selecting Bronny, no matter how many picks they have. It would admittedly be amusing to see Danny Ainge try to pull this off after many years of battling LeBron in the Eastern Conference, though.

Another possible destination for Bronny.