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NBA rumors: Atlanta Hawks draft Bronny James in NBA Mock Draft, LeBron James takes interest

ESPN’s new 2024 NBA Mock Draft has the Atlanta Hawks selecting Bronny James, son of LeBron James, with the No. 17 overall pick next season. LeBron took the social media to hint at a potential move to Atlanta next summer if his son does end up with the Hawks.

LeBron has talked openly about his dream of playing alongside his son in the NBA. On the other hand, James has also said that just because that’s his dream, it doesn’t necessarily reflect his son’s dream. James has two years left on his Lakers contract with the option to opt-out ahead of next summer’s free agency period.

The Hawks, meanwhile, are mostly a placeholder in ESPN’s mock. It’s far too early to project next year’s NBA standings. It’s also way too early to have a firm grasp on Bronny’s draft range. In a relatively weak draft class, he has the potential to rise even further than No. 17 given his pure jumper, high-level defense, and advanced decision-making talent. He doesn’t provide much on-ball creation, but James feels like a strong role-player bet in a year filled with uncertainty. He’s beginning the season ranked No. 8 on the FanSided board.

Atlanta could certainly benefit from the younger James’ 3-and-D attributes next to Trae Young on the perimeter, especially with Dejounte Murray set to enter free agency next summer. And I’m sure the Hawks would welcome LeBron Sr. if the occasion arose. But, that’s all purely hypothetical at this point.

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