As the 2024-25 NBA season begins, the new dynamic with the Los Angeles Lakers is one of the biggest storylines to watch. In June, the Lakers signed Bronny James from USC, the son of their star and four-time champion LeBron James. At the time, reports suggested that agent Rich Paul had told teams other than the Lakers not to sign Bronny. It was a polarizing idea at the time, but it led to Bronny ending up on the same team as his father. Now, a few months later, reports suggest that there was another team that was thinking about signing Bronny. However, they decided against it. This team? The Golden State Warriors.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Warriors had interest in signing Bronny with the 52nd overall pick. This was just three picks before the Lakers took him 55th overall.

“The Warriors liked Bronny’s skills and had him on their draft board, sources said. Selecting him ahead of the Lakers, who had the 55th pick, would have been a smart move – perhaps even to entice James to sign there as a free agent. But ultimately, sources said, the Warriors chose to respect the wishes James had made clear, and the Lakers signaled they would honor them.”

The rival Los Angeles Lakers almost drafted Bronny James

What the Golden State Warriors did instead

Instead of drafting Bronny with the number 52, the Warriors selected Quinten Post out of Boston College. Post is a 7’0″ center who earned Second Team All-ACC honors last season. In late September, the Warriors signed Post to a two-way contract.

Perhaps Post’s most intriguing skill is his three-point ability. In his final year at Boston College, he shot 43.1% from distance. Additionally, he shot 42.6% from the three-point line the previous season. Given that he’s on a two-way contract, it’s unlikely that Post will have much of an impact in Golden State right away. Furthermore, he is already 24 years old. Regardless, he still has a lot of potential. Drafting him late in the second round is a low-risk move for Golden State, even if it meant not drafting Bronny instead.

The final word on Bronny James

Now that Bronny is officially with the Lakers, he and his father form the first father-son teammate pair in NBA history. However, it seems unlikely that he will crack the team’s rotation immediately. This is especially true after head coach JJ Redick’s comments that he will likely run a 9-man rotation.

Here, JJ Redick says he envisions a 9-man rotation and discusses which guys off the bench are competing for rotation spots. He said he forgot someone when he was going through all the names (Dalton Knecht): pic.twitter.com/4kEqDXruvA

— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) October 1, 2024

Still, it’s exciting to bring Bronny to this Lakers team. As the 20-year-old continues to get more comfortable and improve, it will be worth watching to see if he can make an impact on the Lakers in the foreseeable future.