NBA Draft 2024: Bronny James Goes Undrafted While Frenchmen Become #1 and #2 Picks

The 2024 NBA Draft has finally begun, and it was bad news for prospect Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, as he went undrafted in the first round. Meanwhile, players from France went #1 and #2 in the draft, furthering the trend of Europeans doing better in the NBA than Americans.

The Atlanta Hawks surprised many as they picked French shooting guard/ small forward Zaccharie Risacher. This is now the second year in a row that a Frenchman was picked #1 for the NBA Draft after the San Antonio Spurs picked Victor Wembanyama last year. Wembanyama went on to win Rookie of the Year for the season.

For the #2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards selected power forward-center Alex Sarr, also from France but played in Australia. He has been described as an "athletic 7-footer who succeeds in the modern NBA with do-everything defense and an offensive arsenal that's only starting to take shape" by Bleacher Report.

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets picked Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, who shined in the NCAA March Madness earlier this year despite not winning the tournament as the #3 pick. He is a shooter, which is something the Rockets actually need.

Meanwhile, Stephon Castle picked Stephon Castle for the #4 pick, while Ron Holland went to the Detroit Pistons for their #5 pick. Tidjane Salaun was picked by the Charlotte Hornets at #6, while the Portland Trail Blazers picked Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, whom many thought would be #1 earlier this year.

From their trade with the Spurs, the Minnesota Timberwolves received Kentucky's Rob Dillingham, while the Memphis Grizzlies picked Clingan's top NCAA rival, Zach Edey. Rounding out the Top 10 picks is Cody Williams, as the forward went to the Utah Jazz.

Bronny James Goes Undrafted on Day 1 of the NBA Draft 2024

The Los Angeles Lakers clearly want LeBron James, who has vowed to play with his son, Bronny James in his last years as a player, to stick around. However, the purple and gold team passed on Bronny several times during the 2024 NBA Draft.

The younger James currently ranks as a #54 prospect by sports analysts, which is unlike his superstar father who was drafted at #1. Instead of picking Bronny, the Lakers selected shooting guard Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee as their 17th pick, according to MSN.

Bronny James Pre-NBA Draft Process Was Unusual

Before the NBA Draft even happened, Bronny James was working out with two teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. Both teams passed on him during the 1st round. However, Yahoo! Sports noted that drafting Bronny has become complicated as his agent stated that he wants his new client to be selected only by teams willing to offer him a guaranteed deal.

However, it was also reported that other teams have indeed shown interest in the guard, including the Toronto Raptors (No. 31), Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 37), and Dallas Mavericks (No. 58). It should be noted that next season, where Bronny goes, LeBron might follow.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Biggest Winners & Losers of the First Round | 2024 NBA Draft Reaction - Bleacher Report