Bronny James Draft Odds & Projection: Will Lakers Take LeBron's Son in 2nd Round?
The latest Bronny James draft odds across our best NBA betting sites project the USC guard to be selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 2024 NBA Draft has long been viewed as one of the weakest in recent memory, but with the first round wrapped up there's still plenty of intrigue. That's because Bronny James went unselected during the opening night of the draft.
While the NBA draft odds never had James going in the first 30 picks, he was still being backed to go No. 1 ahead of the draft. He was one of a handful of players that you could bet to go No. 1 overall - which casual bettors had done so much that he was the biggest liability across most of our best sportsbooks.
Although he didn't end up in the first round, LeBron James' son remains the biggest draw for the second round, which is slated for today at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN). He's a heavy favorite to be drafted 55th or worse across our best sports betting sites.
That makes sense given that the 6-foot-1, 210-pound guard averaged just 4.8 points in 19.3 minutes in his lone season at USC.
Many of the top teams by the NBA championship odds are among the favorites to draft James, with the Los Angeles Lakers fittingly the favorites to select their star's son. Will that become a reality, or will another team derail LeBron's long-standing dream?
Bronny James 2024 NBA Draft odds
There are so many markets surrounding Bronny James' draft position in the 2024 NBA Draft that it's liable to make your head spin.
Heading into the 2023 college basketball season, James seemed like a surefire bet to be a lottery pick based almost entirely on his lineage and the potential that his dad would follow through on his years-long commitment to play with his son.
Then the younger James slogged through a difficult freshman season at USC, where he overcame a scary heart issue to play fewer than 20 minutes per game for a team that opened the year in the top 25 and ultimately didn't even make the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, that hasn't stopped bettors from wishcasting the former Trojan into the lottery - or even higher. In the days leading into the 2024 NBA Draft, James was the biggest liability to be the No. 1 overall pick with roughly 25% of all bet slips in the top pick market.
That didn't happen. But where will James ultimately land, and which team will be the one to take a shot on the polarizing guard?
Which team will draft Bronny James in 2024 NBA Draft?
NBA draft odds from our best sports betting apps as of June 27 | 🔥 = best odds | ❄️ = worst odds
| Team | FanDuel | bet365 |
|---|---|---|
| Lakers | -390 | -400 |
| Suns | +800 | +800 |
| Mavericks | +1600 | +1600 |
| Celtics | +2500 | +2500 |
| Spurs | +3000 | +3000 |
| Raptors | +3000 | +3000 |
| Jazz | +3000 | +3000 |
| Pacers | +4000 | +4000 |
| Timberwolves | +4000 | +4000 |
| 76ers | +4000 | +4000 |
As a way to exercise leverage and potentially pump James' draft stock, agent Rich Paul only had his client work out for two teams: the Los Angeles Lakers (-390) and Phoenix Suns (+800). So it's no surprise to see those teams trading as the favorites in this market.
Perhaps the only surprise is the gap between those two. Sure, Los Angeles is the obvious front-runner with LeBron's looming free agency hanging over the organization. The Lakers remain the favorites by the latest LeBron James next team odds, though a key reason could be because they're widely expected to take his son in the draft.
Here's the issue: they took Dalton Knecht No. 17 and the only other pick they own in the NBA Draft is No. 55. They didn't take James with the 17th pick, so does that open the door for another team to foil their plans before he reaches the 55th pick?
The Suns are cap-strapped and own a comically small war chest of picks, so their options to add talent are limited. Could a swing on James be their best chance of luring a potential star to the desert - or even to pry a nice role player from their Pacific Division rivals?
I'd also keep my eye on the Philadelphia 76ers (+4000), who have a ton of cap space and appear hell-bent on using it to attract a third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. At the very least, a late pick on James could force the Lakers into a tricky spot, as LeBron would be free to play with his son and still get paid handsomely to do so.
In the end, I think the Lakers are still the likeliest bet, and their -390 odds represent a 79.59% implied probability and would profit $2.56 on a $10 bet per our odds converter. I'd be targeting another team in this market given the odds. My favorite bet remains the Suns given all the smoke, as it doesn't feel like the market has fully appreciated their interest in the much-ballyhooed prospect.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns (+800 via FanDuel)
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Bronny James O/U draft position
| Draft position | FanDuel | bet365 |
|---|---|---|
| Over 54.5 | -440 | -450 |
| Under 54.5 | +290 | +320 |
James' draft position was projected to be somewhere between 41.5 and 45.5 just a few days ago and as high as 47.5 this morning. That number has plummeted in the hours before tonight's draft with all of our best live betting sites offering a total of 54.5 with the Over heavily juiced.
Obviously, that number is intentional: the Lakers, who are the prohibitive favorites to draft LeBron's son, own the No. 55 pick in the draft and seem to be a reasonable bet for his floor in this draft.
It does seem plausible that James could fall to 55th, though at these odds, I don't hate the idea that a team could take a shot on him with a pick in the 40s - either for their own benefit or to force the Lakers to give up tangible assets to pair father and son on the court.
Prediction: Under 54.5 (+320 via bet365)
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Bronny James 2024 NBA Draft pick bands
| Band | FanDuel | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| Picks 1-30 | +500 | 16.67% |
| Picks 31-35 | +1000 | 9.09% |
| Picks 36-40 | +1000 | 9.09% |
| Picks 41-45 | +1100 | 8.33% |
| Picks 46-50 | +1200 | 7.69% |
| Picks 51-55 | -155 | 60.78% |
| Picks 56-58 | +1400 | 6.67% |
Which conference will draft Bronny James?
| Conference | FanDuel | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|
| Western Conference | -520 | -650 |
| Eastern Conference | +350 | +400 |
Which division will draft Bronny James?
| Division | FanDuel | BetMGM |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Division | -162 | -175 |
| Northwest Division | +560 | +600 |
| Atlantic Division | +700 | +700 |
| Southwest Division | +870 | +900 |
| Central Division | +1100 | +1100 |
| Southeast Division | +1500 | +1500 |
Bronny James draft projection, mock draft predictions
Here's a look at the latest Bronny James draft projections as of Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before the start of the 2024 NBA Draft:
| Publication | Draft pick | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Bleacher Report | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| CBS Sports | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| ESPN | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| The Athletic | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| The Ringer | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Yahoo! Sports | No. 55 | Los Angeles Lakers |
NBA draft FAQs
Who was the favorite to go first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft?
France's Zaccharie Risacher was the favorites to be selected No. 1 in the 2024 NBA Draft. Risacher's shortest odds are -430, which implied a 81.13% probability he'd go No. 1. And Atlanta Hawks did select him there.
When and where is the NBA draft?
The first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday, June 26, will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Thursday's second round will be held at ESPN's Seaport District Studios in New York.
When do the Los Angeles Lakers pick?
The Los Angeles Lakers hold the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Where will Bronny James get drafted?
James, the son of LeBron James has been projected to fall as far as the second round, though the potential to lure his father as a package deal could bump him into the first round. His draft position Over/Under is set at 54.5 in the hours before the first round.
Have a father and son played together in the NBA?
We've never seen a father and son play together in the NBA at the same time, though we've seen plenty of NBA stars whose children eventually forged their own path to the league. We've also never seen father and son play together on the same team, which could happen if the Los Angeles Lakers draft Bronny James.
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