Reggie Miller says Bronny James would be better playing for the Spurs than the Lakers: "I think he could grow more with San Antonio"

bronny-james

With the 2024 NBA Draft less than two weeks away, the one question just as big as who will go No.1 overall is which team will draft Bronny James.

For obvious reasons, LeBron's eldest son has been heavily linked to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers aren't expected to use their No.17 pick on him but with the Purple and Gold picking at No.55, many believe they will take their chance with Bronny with that late second-round pick.

However, Indiana Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller believes that a better scenario for Bronny would be starting his career away from the Lakers. He mentions the San Antonio Spurs as an ideal landing spot for LeBron Jr.

"I think the expectations would be much higher with the Lakers," said Reggie on the Dan Patrick Show. "I think he could grow more with San Antonio. Let's not forget Popovich and LeBron have that relationship of winning the gold medal together."

Pop could help Bronny grow more

Bronny's dad and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have often expressed mutual respect. Pop was also part of Larry Brown's coaching staff during the 2004 Summer Olympics, where LeBron played. Given Popovich's penchant for developing young talent and the Spurs' young team, the Alamo would be a good landing spot for LeBron's son.

But while the expectations won't be as high in San Antonio, that doesn't mean that Bronny won't be in the cruel bright lights. Because the Spurs have Wemby, they are expected to be heavily televised this season, and that would leave Bronny open to a lot of public scrutiny. Still, it won't be as bad as it could be if he lands in Los Angeles.

"I think the Spurs would be a great place because it's a young team," added Reggie. "Victor and the Spurs, will be under the spotlight, they will be on National Television a lot because of the success of Victor so you will see him quite a bit. But there will be no expectations of winning. If he goes to the Lakers, we know how the Lakers roll, right? It's championship or bust. And you've got your father who's a Mount Rushmore-type player."

Rick Carlisle says Bronny won't be available when the Pacers pick

The latest mock drafts have Bronny as a late second-round pick. Most recently, he has gotten the interest of the Dallas Mavericks, who pick last at No.58. However, when Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was interviewed last week, he said he is confident that Bronny won't be on the board when his team picks at No. 49 and No. 50.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict he goes quite a bit higher than that," Carlisle claimed. "I'm not gonna say who, I don't want to get fined. I've been fined enough this year during the playoffs."

Interestingly, the Spurs pick before the Pacers at No.48. With San Antonio also owning the 35th pick and the 8th overall pick, maybe the Spurs have a spot to take Bronny. At this point, it's no longer about taking Bronny, so LeBron will sign there. Bronny alone would draw attention to his team. He might be worth the risk for a team like the Spurs.