“I’m Not Drafting Bronny James To Be Ja Morant”: Austin Rivers Provides A Realistic Scenario For The USC Freshman’s NBA Future

On the latest episode of The Ringer’s Austin Rivers and his co host Pausha Haghighi spoke about the potential of . Several enthusiasts are holding onto surreal expectations of Bronny to become a star in the NBA, with the virtue of his father being LeBron James. However, Rivers was more realistic when talking about the USC star’s future in the NBA.

Advertisement Several naysayers are of the opinion that Bronny James is overhyped as he’s the son of LeBron James and wouldn’t make it to the NBA. However, Austin Rivers belongs to the group of supporters who displayed their faith in the teenager’s chances of making it to the league. According to Rivers, considering his shooting, athleticism, and defensive abilities, the 6ft 4” guard can have a positive impact on a successful franchise.

Austin Rivers claimed. Advertisement However, the NBA star revealed his honest expectations from Bronny. Unlike a majority of others, the 31 year old believed that the athletic guard would make a solid role player on a title contending franchise such as the Boston Celtics, rather than the lead star.

As per the combo guard, expecting James to perform at the same level as Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum would be downright illogical. Rivers said. Austin Rivers isn’t inaccurate with his take. Bronny James hasn’t been one of the best players in his class. In fact, the Sierra Canyon guard was merely a four star recruit who had a subpar high school career, as he averaged 14.2 points and 5.5 rebounds as a senior.

Playing for the USC Trojans at the collegiate level, there are several better prospects than Bronny on his own team. And after the unfortunate cardiac arrest that he suffered in July of 2023, there has been an evident dip in Bronny’s production. Coming off the bench and playing merely 17.9 minutes per game, James’ stats aren’t exactly appealing – 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

Based on his recent performance, it isn’t surprising to see the teenager’s draft stock take a massive hit. As things stand, several mock drafts have touted Bronny to be a . That said, despite all the negatives, there are quite a few positives to take into account as well. Advertisement With each passing game, James’s confidence has evidently risen, a trend that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Combine that with his physical gifts and natural feel for the game, and it won’t be long before fans see him climb up draft boards once again. Austin Rivers previously commented on the NIL worth of Bronny James This isn’t the first time that Austin Rivers has passed any remark on Bronny James. During the latter’s final year in high school, the then Minnesota Timberwolves point guard commented on Bronny’s net worth.

While Bronny might not be the #1 player of his class, being the eldest son of LeBron James has allowed him to gather an immense amount of off court success. Having NIL (name, image, and likeliness) deals with high profile brands such as PSD Underwear, Beats By Dre, and Nike, among others, Bronny was worth $7 million while being a high school senior.

Now, Austin Rivers was ranked as the #1 high school player during his era. Because NIL deals didn’t exist during his high school years, . . As Bronny’s career progresses, his net worth will only rise as he collects more deals with other brands. Advertisement.