ESPN’s Latest 2024 Mock Draft: Bronny James Projected to Join Celtics, One Pick Ahead of Lakers

Bronny to Boston would be interesting.

The 2024 NBA Draft class is not anywhere near as talented as last year’s group was. But, the big name that everybody is wondering about is Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Naturally, the question over the next few weeks will be where does Bronny go in the draft? Or does he get drafted at all? Well, the latest ESPN mock draft by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo has Bronny James going to the Boston Celtics at No. 54 overall.

Another interesting wrinkle here is that Bronny is mocked to the Celtics one pick before the Lakers’ second-round choice, ruining the hopes of a Bronny-LeBron James team-up in the purple and gold.

Nonetheless, Bronny hearing his name called during the draft at all would certainly be a positive thing after the disappointing freshman season at USC. He averaged just 4.8 PPG with 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in a reserve role for the Trojans. He suffered a cardiac arrest event in the summer but was able to make a recovery and get back on the floor.

Bronny James’ draft landing spot is up in the air

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Even despite Bronny’s low numbers in his only college season, his name is circulating more and more in draft circles. Technically, Bronny can still change his mind and return to college. After Andy Enfield left USC to go to SMU, Bronny headed for the draft and entered the portal, but that seems unlikely given the draft buzz for him.

At the NBA Combine, Bronny was pegged as one of the winners after successful workouts and scrimmages, which likely helped boost his draft stock quite a bit after he was rumored to go undrafted.

ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel compiled his first full mock draft and had Bronny going at No. 55 to the Lakers, so the mid-50s seem like a consensus landing spot early on. But, Siegel reports that the expectations is that Bronny stays in the draft: “The key question here is whether Bronny remains in the draft or not, as he definitely still needs to work on his offensive game before he is ready for real NBA action. The expectation is that Bronny will remain in the 2024 NBA Draft.”

The hype around Bronny James is somewhat surprising considering how he played in his lone college season at USC, but then again, this is the son of LeBron James. Moreover, Bronny has flashed top-notch defensive potential with the ability to make shots, making him an intriguing choice in the late round of the NBA Draft.

The 2024 NBA Draft is on June 27 and 27, so it will be a month until we find out where Bronny James ends up hearing his name called, if at all.