The Dallas Mavericks are riding high on confidence. They have made it all the way to the Western Conference Semis, defeating a stacked Los Angeles Clippers over six games in the first round of the playoffs. Now, they are head-to-head with the prospect of reaching the second Conference Finals in three seasons, if they manage to defeat the OKC Thunder. However, that task seems to have gotten a whole lot harder, as the Thunder won Game 4 in the Mavs’ backyard, tying the series at 2-2.
Despite their Game 4 defeat, many believe that the Mavs might still make it to the Conference Final. And with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on their roster, the future also looks promising. However, it can get a whole lot better if Mark Cuban decides to derail the Lakers’ well-thought-out plan by drafting Bronny James. They would do this in order to entice LeBron James, preventing his switch from LA to Dallas. This move will mark the beginning of a new “big-three” era.
Stephen A. Smith believes that if this plan works out, the Mavericks could become even more popular than the mighty Dallas Cowboys, valued at a whopping $9.2 billion. During the latest episode of the Stephen A. Smith show, he said, “If you the Dallas Mavericks, and you got Kyrie, and you got Luka, and LeBron James is willing to come to Big D, Dallas, Texas. That might be the first time something is more popular than the Cowboys.”
It’d be intriguing to watch LeBron James team up with Luka and Kyrie, but the odds of that happening are pretty slim. Here’s the deal: the Lakers have the 17th and 55th picks in the 2024 Draft, and as per several experts, they would look to draft Bronny. However, if the Lakers attempt to sign Bronny on a two-way contract, the Mavericks might seize the opportunity by drafting him with their 58th pick in the same draft.
How are Lebron James’ son’s 2024 Draft prospects shaping up?
Hype and media attention have always surrounded Bronny because of his links to LeBron James. However, following a dismal freshman season with the USC Trojans, the discourse around Bronny and his talents turned negative. He could only average 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games for the Trojans. Despite this, Bronny decided to enlist for the 2024 NBA Draft.
A lot of draft predictions and mock drafts suggested that Bronny would be selected late in the second round or possibly go undrafted. However, an impressive showing in the draft combine might have turned things around. Bronny was among the 78 players invited to the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. Despite the competition, he delivered one of the most impressive performances that day.
Bronny James measurements at the NBA Draft Combine:
6'1.5" height without shoes
6'7.25" wingspan
8'2.5" standing reach pic.twitter.com/UfG7pnwlVl— Nick Kalinowski (@kalidrafts) May 13, 2024
First off, Bronny James’ vertical jump was measured at 40.5 inches, which was the fourth highest amongst all players. This comes as no shock, as elite athleticism runs in the blood of LeBron James’ son. However, what surprised people most was his shooting. During the 2023–24 season, Bronny shot just 36.6% from the field and a woeful 26.7% from downtown. But in the draft combine, he crushed the 3-point challenge while scoring 19 of his 25 attempts.
This shooting performance was the second-best by any athlete on that day. Furthermore, in the movement shooting drill, Bronny James didn’t miss a shot for a minute and 15 seconds. With such a stellar Draft Combine performance, Bronny’s NBA aspirations would certainly have received a massive boost. What do you think about the prospects of LeBron James’ son? Let us know below.
