The New York Knicks have a unique opportunity in the 2024 NBA Draft, as many other teams do. The Knicks have the 24th, 25th, and 38 picks in June, with a plethora of prospects who could realistically fall in those spots.
There is one prospect, however, that stands out among the rest. Bronny James has seen it all since declaring for the draft months ago. No one knows how good he'll be in the NBA. The 6'1" guard is rumored to be all over the place in the draft, from a mid-to-late first-rounder to an early-second rounder to completely undrafted.
Bronny James was scheduled for 10 workouts with NBA teams, but he’s declined all of them except two: Lakers and Suns, per @ShamsCharania on @RunItBackFDTV.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 28, 2024
Phoenix will legitimately be considering Bronny at No. 22 overall. pic.twitter.com/i7GT7NygYf
In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Andy Bailey ranked the Knicks as the third-most likely landing spot for James with the 38th pick. While New York can certainly take him with their second-round selection, using either of their first-round choices on him is also possible. There are benefits and downsides to using a draft pick on the son of the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Pros and cons of Knicks picking Bronny James in 2024 NBA Draft
Pro: A chance to get LeBron James
Let's get this one out of the way. The Knicks suffered a second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers, and although they were battered and bruised all season long, adding star talent this summer would give them better odds to win it all. Drafting Bronny in the same offseason that LeBron James could enter free agency means the probability of him signing with New York is high.
Even at 39 years old, James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game for the seventh-seeded Lakers. He can still make a championship impact after 20+ years in the league, and given that he is not only an elite scorer but also an elite distributor, it would complement New York's superstar Jalen Brunson, along with their cast of top-tier role players.
Con: Well, what if they don't get LeBron?
Even though the hype surrounding the potential father-son pairing is intriguing for teams with a draft pick, LBJ packing his bags to fly to his kid isn't set in stone. There's a chance he re-signs with the Lakers, returns to Cleveland for a farewell tour, or goes to a team with better odds to win.
It's been noted that Bronny wants to make a legacy for himself. It's not all about playing with his dad; he's "just trying to put in the work."
"I would be happy about getting to the league instead of thinking about playing with my dad [LeBron James]... I’m just trying to put in the work.”
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) May 14, 2024
Bronny James discusses the idea of being on the same NBA roster as his dadpic.twitter.com/q0XOv3bzOc