Bronny James joins Dalton Knecht on Los Angeles Lakers

Night two of the 2024 NBA Draft wrapped up on Thursday night with the Los Angeles Lakers holding one of the final picks in the draft at No. 55. The Lakers drafted Tennessee basketball superstar Dalton Knecht in the 1st Round and took Bronny James in round two. 

This was one of the most highly-anticipated late-second-round draft picks in NBA history, with the Lakers having the opportunity to do one of the rare things in sports: give LeBron James and LeBron James Jr. a chance to play on the same team. 

There has never been a father-son duo play on the same team in NBA history but that could change as soon as this year if Bronny makes the NBA roster and earns minutes on the floor. 

Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as a freshman at USC. Those numbers come after he went into cardiac arrest last summer. He recovered and returned to USC to play in 25 games for the Trojans before declaring for the NBA Draft.

Knecht and Bronny were both in the spotlight throughout the NBA Draft Combine. Knecht did what he does best and shot the lights out of the gym, finishing at or near the top in most shooting drills. 

Bronny also impressed with his shooting and athleticism, enough for the Lakers to take a chance on him and allow him and LeBron to play together. 

There is still a lot of hype and potential surrounding Bronny, especially after his combine workouts. He will work to earn a rotational spot on the roster and possibly serve in a similar role as Knecht, who can shoot efficiently and effectively. 

Despite his lackluster college numbers on paper, he still has a ton of upside and will probably find himself in a developmental role with the Lakers in his first season. If he can continue to develop and improve, we could see Knecht and Bronny team up for years to come as the future of the Lakers.