The hype train keeps rolling for the New York Knicks. OG Anunoby’s midseason trade put the ball in motion for a recent 15-2 stretch after he entered and changed the complexion of the lineup. The Knicks’ move for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks at the Feb. 8 trade deadline brought in two sharpshooting scorers that gave the team exactly what they were missing in their rotation.
Now, recent odds give the championship-contending Knicks the second-best odds to select USC guard Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Knicks allotted +800 odds to take USC’s Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft
Per Jon Conahan of Heavy Sports, Bet US is high on the Knicks’ chances of landing the promising talent and son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to strengthen their backcourt depth chart and rock the house at Madison Square Garden:
“BetUS currently has the Knicks with the second shortest odds to draft Bronny at +800. The Los Angeles Lakers have the highest odds, sitting at +200,” Conahan isolated.
The Knicks currently have a bevy of capable contributors at the two-guard slot, but behind All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, there’s room for a competent backup floor general.
The younger James is averaging 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 20.9 minutes per game for the Trojans in his freshman season. His efficiency needs some work, as he sports a 35.6/27.1/61.5 percent shooting line, but his playmaking numbers in somewhat limited time show that he can be a steady distributor in the pros when given more minutes.
More importantly, when watching James, his feel for the game and finding his teammates shows a prospect that has the potential to be a special cog in the Knicks’ system and help them move the ball and play fast as a naturally gifted athlete.
James is the No. 55 ranked prospect on NBA.com, which would project him as a second-round pick.
Can the Knicks form a father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James in New York next season?
The Lakers were given the highest odds, chiefly because the elder James has expressed his last wish in the NBA to be to share the court with his son Bronny before retiring, and also because the team owns their second-round pick in 2024.
As for the Knicks, they too own their second-round selections and have also been tied to the elder James as his next potential landing spot. The elder James can opt to decline his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season and hit the open market, which would open the door for the Knicks to move mountains to bring the former four-time MVP to the Big Apple along with his son, raise the decibel level at MSG and further their championship hopes.