Leon Rose will enter the draft with three picks to make for New York: two first-round picks at 24 and 25, and a second-round pick at 38.
In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Rich Paul, who represents both LeBron and his son, revealed the current consensus on Bronny’s draft range.
“Bronny’s outreach has been all over the place,” Paul told Haynes on May 24 . “Some teams think he’ll go 20 to 40, some say 30 to 50, and some teams think he won’t get drafted. All it takes is one team.”
Bailey says the Knicks should take James with their second-round pick. For his development, he believes that the winning culture of New York is an excellent foundation.
“Landing Bronny to the Knicks would likely mean a few years of waiting before cracking the rotation,” Bailey wrote. “But spending those years learning from gritty guards like Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride would have served him well.”
Thibodeau inherited the Knicks in 2021 after a 21-45 season. Since then, they have gone 175-143, made the playoffs in three of four years and won two of five postseason series.
What makes the idea of drafting Bronny even more attractive to teams is the hovering possibility of LeBron joining them in free agency. He openly expressed his desire to play with his son.
Paul played down the narrative in his interview with Haynes, citing the focus on the work to prepare the draft 19 years ago.
“Well, LeBron said he wanted to play with his son,” Paul said. “Bronny can’t do anything about it. And it’s nothing we should push back on. If he wants to play with his son, that’s it. But again, I have a job to do to represent Bronny and LeBron.”
James has a $51 million option for the 2024-2025 season and a June 29 deadline to make a decision.