Pros and cons of Lakers selecting Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft

Con: The inevitable media fiasco

Drafting Bronny James means understanding that the media will be following every step he takes in the NBA. It's the unfortunate territory that comes with being the son of one of the greatest players of all time in a world that can't seem to let athletes exist outside of a shadow.

In the event that the Los Angeles Lakers in specific draft James, however, the media fallout would be even more overwhelming—perhaps to the point of not being worth it.

The Lakers drafting James would inevitably result in a slew of articles being written and talk shows being built around a simple topic: LeBron James got his son drafted. That may not actually impact anyone within the organization, nor the James family itself, but there's a risk that it could.

Bronny James showing up and putting in the work would put a lot of that talk to rest, but he would be starting his NBA career in a chaotic manner.

James has handled media pressure as well as one could possibly ask of him, but this would be an entirely new extreme. Pundits would be remorseless in their talk about James and the Lakers organization.

I don't personally subscribe to that mattering in the big picture, but it's enough of a factor that it must be acknowledged as an inevitable event if James is drafted by the Lakers.