Will Bronny James join dad Lebron at Lakers? NBA draft preview

The NBA draft takes place this week and many fans will be eager to find out where LeBron James' son Bronny ends up.

The first-round draft starts on Wednesday 26 June, with the second round on Thursday 27 June. One common theory is that Bronny could be picked by the Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside his father for what is predicted to be LeBron’s final year on-court.

The 19-year-old has completed his first year of college basketball with the University of Southern California Trojans, where he averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game.

Unlike his father, who stands at 6ft 9ins and is the NBA's leading all-time scorer, Bronny is 6ft 1ins and is more of a defensive player.

However, being the son of a four-time NBA champion and four-time Most Valuable Player brings extra attention along with it. Bronny has 7.7 million Instagram followers and pundits have followed his journey for years.

Despite that, his path has not been entirely smooth. Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest in training last July, meaning he was only cleared to return to basketball last November, having been found to have a congenital heart defect.

Lakers veteran LeBron, 39, is likely entering the final year of his career and could become a free agent this summer by declining his $51.4m (£40.6m) player option when the window opens at the end of June.

But could Bronny be used as a makeweight to tempt LeBron into a new contract?

Following the All-Star game in 2022, the four-time NBA champion told reporters, "my last year will be played with my son".

Earlier this month, the Lakers named television pundit and former player JJ Redick, who also co-hosts a basketball podcast alongside James, as their new head coach. With no prior coaching experience, the 40-year-old former Orlando Magic and LA Clippers shooting guard may look to build a team around LeBron.

The Lakers have the number 17 and number 55 picks in the draft . They are also one of only two teams, along with the Phoenix Suns, who Bronny has worked out with before the draft.

Rich Paul, who works as an agent for both Bronny and LeBron, told ESPN earlier this month, external that Dallas Mavericks’ general manager Nico Harrison is “like an uncle” to Bronny.

The Mavericks own the number 58 pick.

In the same interview, Paul claimed that the Minnesota Timberwolves would “love to get Bronny in” and that Masai Ujirim president of the Toronto Raptors, “loves” the young player.

The Timberwolves hold picks 27 and 37, while the Raptors have number 19 and 31.

Two 19-year-old Frenchmen, Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr have been projected in the top two spots for the draft.

Risacher is 6ft 9ins and plays for top division French team JL Bourg-en-Bresse as a small forward. Sarr is 7ft 1ins and plays for Australian team Perth Wildcats as a forward or centre.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Reed Sheppard, 20, University of Connecticut centre Donovan Clingan, 20 and his 19-year-old teammate Stephon Castle, who plays as a guard, have all been projected in the top five.

This year’s draft will take place across two nights. The first round will be held at Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, June 26 from 20:00 ET (01:00 GMT).

The second round will take place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York on Thursday, June 27 from 16:00 ET (21:00 GMT).