The son of a popular basketball star is getting attention in a key NBA future market.
Bronny James, who suits up for the first time when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday’s opening night, is dominating Rookie of the Year action.
“Bronny is very much part of the conversation heading into the season,” SuperBook at Westgate’s Jay Kornegay told Covers.
Despite the pressure of playing with his dad and future Hall of Famer LeBron James and one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, a player who accomplished less at the collegiate level compared to his peers is getting 21.5% of the tickets and 18.5% of the handle at BetMGM, most of any player listed.
The online operator told Covers the day before the opening game that the sportsbook’s biggest risk is a player listed +30,000 to win the top rookie award.
“We’re not concerned with racking up a liability there,” BetMGM senior trader Darren Darby said.
Last player listed
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard played in just 25 collegiate games (six starts) and averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds as a true freshman at USC last season.
His development was slowed when he went into cardiac arrest during a workout last summer, but James returned five months later to play for the Trojans.
James wasn’t a sought-after prospect before or after he declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, which didn’t stop bettors from placing wagers on him to go No. 1 overall. James wasn’t selected until the second round (55th overall) by the Lakers.
That’s a reason why he’s the last player offered at DraftKings with odds of +25,000 to win Rookie of the Year. Thirty other names are listed ahead of James, but he’s fourth in handle at 8% and third in tickets at 12% at the online sportsbook.
The competition
FanDuel has even less belief in James to win the first-year honor, listing him at +50,000 in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
“The market has been up since late June, and he still has the most bets and most handle to win it, though (Memphis center) Zach Edey is close behind in terms of handle,” a FanDuel spokesperson shared with Covers.
At bet365, James (17% of the bets) trails only Edey in the Rookie of the Year market.
ESPN BET told Covers that James is second in total bets but fifth in handle at 6.6%. Edey leads the rookie market with 19.6% of the bets and 26.1% of the money.
Edey (+400) is the only player at BetMGM getting more handle (30.7%) than James. However, Edey trails him with 15.8% of tickets.
Houston’s Reed Sheppard at +600, second-best odds at BetMGM, is getting 10.8% of the bets and 16.2% of the handle.
James’ teammate, guard and first-round selection Dalton Knecht, is seeing way better odds (+1,600) to win Rookie of the Year, but he’s only getting 6.5% of the tickets and 3.9% of the money.
Rising interest
Bettors won’t have to wait long to see if their action has any chance.
Bronny and LeBron are expected to play together as early as Tuesday night, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
.@ShamsCharania says LeBron James and Bronny James debut together will be "as soon as opening night" for the Lakers 🤩
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 10, 2024
"We're going to be seeing history very, very soon." pic.twitter.com/bZWrsh8V0Z
Bronny’s minimal impact in the league and on his team is why he’s such a long shot. A developmental player, James struggled during the NBA’s Summer League and did very little in his first five preseason games, scoring a total of eight points.
James did, however, score 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting and grabbed four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes of action in the final exhibition game on Oct. 18.
If he does that in a regular-season game, NBA markets involving the son of a legend could explode.
“We’re seeing a lot of action on him for ROY (1,000-1) and to score at least 20 points in one regular season game (9-1),” Kornegay said. “A few other props are also creating some interest.”
