Maybe I’m just getting nostalgic reading Hanif Abdurraqib’s new book There’s Always This Year, which I heartily recommend. Among other things, it’s a history of Ohio basketball over the past few decades.

However, it truly amazes me that twenty-one years have passed since the Sports Illustrated cover star, presumed heir to the Michael Jordan throne, once-in-a-generation talent, LeBron James, declared himself eligible for the draft. Even though it happened more than half my lifetime ago, I still feel as though I was there yesterday in many ways.

With only a 0.7% chance of selecting the first choice in 2003, the Golden State Warriors were never more than a wish or a prayer at James. Instead, they settled at No. 11, where they chose Mickaël Piétrus. And now, over twenty years after David Stern revealed the name of the most anticipated NBA prospect ever, the Warriors will at last get the opportunity to select LeBron James in the draft. All that’s different about this one is that his name ends in “Jr.”

Yes, as you are undoubtedly aware by now, Bronny James, the son of the all-time leading scorer, will be entering the 2024 NBA Draft following his one-year college career at USC. Given that Bronny suffered a heart collapse during a practice just nine months ago, it is remarkable that he is in this position at all. James won’t be the most notable prospect in the draft, even if he will be the most well-known name.

Before his health issues and rookie season, James was widely predicted to be a lottery pick, but he didn’t enjoy the kind of season that usually accompanies a highly touted prospect. With an average of just 19.3 minutes per game, he was mainly used as a substitute for the Trojans. Although he shown many strengths, his total

The 6’4 combo guard is (maybe) going to the NBA instead. It’s also possible that he will decide to forego the draft entirely because the 19-year-old is not included in either Kevin O’Connor’s or Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo’s mock drafts at ESPN or The Ringer. Bronny isn’t even included in Givony’s list of the top 100 draft prospects.

That’s not to imply Bronny will go undrafted and become a free agent. We’ll get to those shortly, but there are many more factors besides a prospect’s typical performance that could influence a team to choose him. He will also want to demonstrate that he is more like the prospect who entered USC than the prospect who left during the combine and individual workouts.

After all, when the 2022–23 NCAA season ended, Brandin Podziemski was not considered a first-round pick by any team. Therefore, even though Bronny doesn’t seem like a player deserving of a draft pick right now, in a few weeks he might project as a second-round pick or perhaps a first-round pick.

Adding LeBron James this offseason

Although it is unjust to Bronny, his skill isn’t the main reason teams are interested in him. It has to do with a frequently cited statement made by the elder James, who said that before he retires, he will play on the same NBA team as his son.

It’s possible that this comment has been misconstrued to suggest that signing LeBron right away after drafting Bronny is the result. Unless you’re the Los Angeles Lakers, who have already indicated that they are willing to draft Bronny in their battle to keep LeBron in purple and gold, it is highly improbable.

However, it is something to think about because LeBron has a player option this summer, which allows him to hit free agency if he so chooses. Did he wish to be a member of the Warriors team? Given his close friendship with Draymond Green, his open admiration for Steph Curry, and his great respect for Steve Kerr—though, it’s worth noting, the Warriors were informed that James had no interest in leaving the Lakers when they inquired about a trade in February—I would assume there’s at least a modicum of curiosity there.

However, unless LeBron is prepared to accept a significant salary reduction, which we can pretty much rule out, Golden State does not have the cap space to sign him. Neither can they realistically create the cap space needed to do so. Additionally, a trade would be extremely difficult to pull off, even if he has changed his mind and wants to leave Hollywood.

It’s entertaining to imagine that two James guys will be on the Warriors roster the following season. However, it isn’t practical.

Adding LeBron James in future seasons

The chronology is something that’s frequently overlooked in LeBron’s statement about playing Bronny. The exact sentence is, “My last year will be played with my son,” with the addition, “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be.” For a year, I would stop at nothing to play with my son.

LeBron made overt allusions to his impending retirement over the previous offseason. Nevertheless, he’s still a player who will probably make an All-NBA squad despite becoming 40 years old next year. This season, he averaged an incredible 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. If he wants to continue playing, he has many more seasons left in him. Until he makes a formal announcement, I’m inclined to believe that any references to retirement are really bits of theatre or him showing off how he makes decisions.

Adding a cheap prospect

The Warriors’ payroll and probably tax expenditures for the upcoming season will be substantial. However, they have also been transparent about their desire to reduce some of the enormous payments they have been making for the past ten years.

There are simple methods to alter the records: letting Klay Thompson depart, declining to sign Chris Paul’s completely non-guaranteed $30 million contract for the following season, and considering a trade for Andrew Wiggins. Smaller strategies exist as well, chief among them the roster-building tactic of signing non-first round rookies to contracts that pay less than veteran minimum deals. Although these kinds of savings might seem insignificant at first, for a club like the Warriors, they might be the difference between paying an eight-figure tax penalty and staying below the tax line

For this reason, the Warriors awarded Trayce Jackson-Davis a guaranteed contract last year after trading into the second round with Ryan Rollins. That’s the reason they moved Cory Joseph at the deadline, avoided signing veteran camp favourite Rudy Gay, and added Lester Quiñones, Gui Santos, and Usman Garuba to the roster.

It will be less expensive if the Warriors sign Bronny as an undrafted free agent or choose him in the second round than if they utilise the roster space on an experienced player. Additionally, every dollar matters.

Bronny also matches the pattern that Kerr so frequently lusts for. He has an exceptional feel for the game and a high basketball IQ, which are expected of a player who was raised in the NBA and has one of the smartest fathers in league history (the Warriors, incidentally, feature a roster full of NBA players’ sons, a tactic that has proven to be successful).

He plays an unselfish style of basketball, limits mistakes well, and possesses good defensive instincts. After spending countless hours in the gym with Curry (and maybe Thompson), the Warriors may hope that his fairly beautiful shooting technique would compensate for the startling statistics. The remains of an

This year’s addition of Bronny would be virtually a domestic draft-and-stash. But, you might understand if the Warriors feel that using a 14th roster slot for this purpose is the best use of their resources, considering the immediate cash impact and the possibility of a longer-term LeBron influence.