The Golden State Warriors were very close to drafting Bronny James but changed their mind out of respect for his dad, LeBron James, who made it clear he wanted to play with his son.
According to a report by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors front office was set on drafting Bronny with the 52nd pick as a possible way to get LeBron to go to Golden State. The Warriors were trying to package a deal to have LeBron join Steph last season, but that fell through, and drafting Bronny would've been the next best attempt. However, LeBron made it clear that he was staying in LA and wanted to play with his son, which led the Warriors to pull the plug on drafting Bronny.
"The Golden State Warriors, who had tried to trade for James last season, weighed whether to take Bronny at No. 52," Shelburne wrote in her report. "The Warriors liked Bronny's skill set and had him on their draft board, sources said. Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who held the 55th pick, would've been a shrewd move -- perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent. But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors opted to respect the wishes James had made clear and the Lakers signaled they would grant."
Bronny ended up getting drafted by the Lakers with the 55th pick. Former Warriors executive Bob Myers reported that LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, told teams if they were to draft Bronny, he would be going to play basketball in Australia.
"Rich Paul's calling teams and saying, 'Don't take Bronny James.'" Myers said at the 2024 NBA Draft in June. "He's telling them, 'Do not take them.' OK? He's saying, 'Don't take him. If you take him he's going to Australia. So he has a plan, and he has a place."
Meanwhile, in other LeBron news: The Lakers star turned 39 years old ahead of the 2024-2025 season, making him the oldest active player in the NBA for a second year straight. His reaction to the milestone was priceless and came during his team's media day earlier this week.
When asked about the detail, LeBron James humorously threw his hands up and shrieked before walking away. His loud reaction briefly interrupted an interview with fellow Laker Austin Reaves on Spectrum SportsNet.
Related Stories
The 15 Most Important Moves of the NBA Offseason
From the TV booth to the front court in Madison Square Garden, looking at the biggest moves on and off the court from the NBA offseason.
LeBron James Won’t Allow Bronny To Call Him ‘Dad’ on the Court
Among the options of allowed on-court names include ‘2-3,’ ‘Bron,’ and ‘GOAT.’
New ‘NBA 2K25’ Trailer Shows Bronny James Throwing Alley-Oop to His Dad LeBron
The Los Angeles Lakers show up together in the gameplay debut trailer for the latest 'NBA 2K' game.
