Reacts: Would Kings fans welcome LeBron James?

The Kings could have the King if they drafted his son.

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On Feb. 20, LeBron James made a statement which will have an extreme impact on the NBA draft they year his eldest son Bronny declares.

“My last year will be played with my son,” James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

Regardless of his age, LeBron will provide unmatched value to any team he is on. He has more experience and knowledge than almost anyone in league history, as well as the ability to attract money through ticket sales and merchandise. Who wouldn’t want to have this even if only for one year?

The answer to that question is any team, like the Kings, that relies heavily on the draft to improve the team.

Bronny, who is still in high school, is currently ranked 52nd by 247Sports in the class of ‘23 and holds an offer from the University of Kentucky. The 6’3 180 lbs. point guard is very athletic and skilled. But, is the hype around him just due to his name?

Yes the team that drafts him seemingly drafts LeBron too. But what about after he retires? If Bronny does not turn out to be a lottery talent, the pick is essentially wasted on the media attention and revenue the team will gain for one year.

There are a great number of players in his class alone that look as though they will be better options when the time comes. As well as the multi year college and G-League players that will also be available.

The only reason a team should take this risk is if they are already established and have a pick that falls outside of the lottery. The idea of getting LeBron and Bronny is a lot “cooler” than it is helpful.

In the late 90’s, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. They won back to back Western Conference Titles ‘97-’98 behind the hall of fame tandem of All-time assists leader John Stockton and 2x MVP Karl Malone. Malone is also the second leading scorer in NBA history, though LeBron James needs less than 300 points to pass him.Even with such elite talent, the Jazz failed to win in either of those series.

Much like in the 90’s, the Jazz currently have a dynamic duo of superstar guard Donovan Mitchell and 3x defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert.

Together this duo has made the playoff in four consecutive seasons, and will make it again this year. Their record in the postseason is 3-5. Even last year when they held the best record in the entire league at 52-20, they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 in the second round.

It is for this reason why NBA fans have no faith in the Jazz. No matter how good they look, they always collapse in the postseason. Even with multiple hall of famers on their team.

Even in the ‘21 All-Star draft, neither LeBron or Kevin Durant wanted to select Mitchell or Gobert for their squads. There is a sort of general distrust across the league in the Utah Jazz.

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