Call it name value or just foolishness, but the most bet on player to go No. 1 in June’s 2024 NBA Draft is none other than Bronny James.
So far, 22.5 percent of the bets are on Bronny to be drafted by the Atlanta Hawks on BetMGM Sportsbook they tell The Post, tied for the most with the actual projected No. 1 pick, Alexandre Sarr.
The smart money is clearly on Sarr, considering 81.4 percent of the handle (total money bet) for this market is on Sarr, with only 2.4 percent of the money on James, despite having the same total bets.
Bronny hasn’t been projected to be drafted in the first round in any reputable mock draft while ESPN’s first mock draft since the draft lottery didn’t have him among the top 58 players.
It has long been expected that Bronny, the oldest son of NBA superstar LeBron James, will be used as a chip for hopeful teams looking to sign his father in free agency.
LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 season and could become an unrestricted free agent in July.
The 2024 NBA Draft will begin on June 26; LeBron has until June 29th to opt out and has expressed that it is a priority to play with his son.
Bronny has garnered his own betting market given the circumstances, with the Lakers the odds-on favorite to draft the guard from USC.
At this point, 22.1 percent of bets are on the Lakers to select Bronny, as they hold picks No. 17 and 55.
No. 17 overall would be a massive overdraft from Los Angeles, but not as much at No. 55, if no other teams are interested in the 6-foot-1 guard.
Bronny looked excellent at the NBA draft combine but didn’t do much to improve his stock while playing for the Trojans last season.
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He struggled in games that he did play, in part due to a cardiac arrest he sustained going into his freshmen year.
Bronny played just over 19 minutes per game in 25 games with 4.8 points per game, 2.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds.