NBA Rumors: Warriors Passed on Bronny James Out of Respect for LeBron's Lakers Wishes

The Golden State Warriors reportedly passed on Bronny James during the 2024 NBA draft despite having him on their draft board.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors "liked Bronny's skill set," but they decided against taking him at No. 52 overall to "respect the wishes" of his father and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Ultimately, Bronny landed with the Lakers at the 55th overall pick in the second round, meaning he and LeBron are in line to be the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.

Bronny, 19, played one season collegiately, appearing in 25 games with USC last season.

James' college career got off to a late start due to him having to undergo a heart procedure after going into cardiac arrest during a workout, but he made his debut after missing the Trojans' first eight games.

Unfortunately for Bronny, he never quite found his footing on the team, averaging just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.

There was some thought that Bronny could play himself into first-round consideration with a strong freshman year, but due to his struggles, it was unclear if he would even enter the draft.

Bronny decided to leave USC for the NBA after only one season, though, turning down the opportunity to potentially improve his numbers as a sophomore and help his draft stock.

Entering the pre-draft process, it wasn't known if Bronny would even be selected in the draft, but after performing well in shooting drills at the combine, he put himself firmly in the second-round conversation.

The Lakers were always considered the favorite to take Bronny since LeBron expressed his desire to be teammates with his son on many occasions, but there was also speculation that another team would possibly take Bronny in an effort to compel LeBron to sign with them in free agency.

During the draft, former Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Bronny's agent, Rich Paul, was telling teams not to take Bronny:

In an effort to ensure Bronny would fall to the Lakers, Myers said Paul told other teams Bronny would play in Australia instead if they were to draft him.

Had the Warriors not listened to Paul, it could have created an intriguing situation as it related to LeBron's status,

LeBron hadn't yet signed a new contract with the Lakers and technically could have tested free agency and signed elsewhere. It is fair to wonder if the allure of playing alongside his son and a future Hall of Famer in Stephen Curry would have caused LeBron to at least consider leaving the Lakers for the Warriors.

Shelburne and former ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Warriors made an attempt to acquire LeBron prior to the trade deadline, only to be rebuffed by the Lakers.

The Warriors' respect for LeBron has long been evident, and as much as the organization undoubtedly would have loved the opportunity to pair him with Curry, they put the legendary future Hall of Famer's feelings and desires above their own by passing on Bronny.