Rich Paul defends draft prospect by taking a shot at Knicks owner James Dolan

The New York Knicks have two first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Whether they still have both picks when the first round starts will depend on how the beginning of the offseason plays out. This year's draft class is regarded as a weak one, part of the reason why one player has dominated headlines so much.

After one season at USC, Bronny James entered the transfer portal and declared for the draft while maintaining eligibility. He will stay in the draft. The 19-year-old participated in the draft combine and will meet with the Lakers (shocker) and Suns before the draft.

Many people have criticized the hype Bronny has received. After he went into cardiac arrest in late July, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game with the Trojans. Even draft experts have said he should stay in college for at least another year, but that won't happen.

Nepotism has been a popular word regarding Bronny and the 2024 draft. Rich Paul, Bronny's agent, defended the young guard in an interview with Bleacher Report.

Rich Paul takes shot at James Dolan when discussing Bronny James

When Paul was asked about Bronny's draft status, the agent gave an in-depth answer in which he mentioned James Dolan.

"When you look at America as a whole, it's built on the nepotism. No one's having this conversation about Jim Dolan. He owns the Knicks, but his dad built a business. Same with Casey Wasserman. Lou Wasserman built a business. I got plenty of friends that come from very wealthy families whose families built a business, and when it's their turn to take charge, they're not sitting on the couch. They're looking to enhance it."

- Rich Paul, Bleacher Report

It's interesting that Dolan caught a stray, even though he owns one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. Maybe Paul wanted to draw another parallel to someone in the NBA who is in the position they're in because of their father since that's the biggest Bronny critique. He could've always used the Buss family as an example, but that would've meant taking a shot at the Lakers.

If Paul had mentioned any other person in the Knicks organization, fans would have gone at him. However, the fan base gave up on Dolan a long time ago. He has a hands-off approach but still makes the headlines now and then, always for the wrong reasons. Dolan was the only NBA owner who voted against the WNBA's expansion to Toronto.

Dolan aside, hopefully, Bronny has a long, successful NBA career. As much as some people want to see the Knicks draft Bronny so they can have a shot at LeBron, that time has passed. It will be interesting to see which team selects him and how it will affect his 39-year-old father.