Bronny James will struggle to deliver fantasy value, but these other second-round picks could eventually

The 2024 NBA Draft has concluded and 60 new players have joined the Association. I’ve discussed the first round fantasy winners and losers and will now discuss my favorite second round picks, including Bronny James, who, unsurprisingly, went to the Lakers. I don’t expect any of these players to be relevant to fantasy now, but we’ll see what the future holds!

Bronny James, G, Los Angeles Lakers

The Bronny draft saga ends on day two when he predictably goes to the Lakers with the 55th pick. It was pretty ridiculous listening to Bob Myers detail Rich Paul’s efforts to keep other teams from drafting Bronny. I don’t know if I believe Bronny would have actually played in Australia or that Rich Paul was actively trying to get Bronny in LA in the first place. Was that even necessary? How many teams actually wanted to draft him?

The story would have been much better if the Celtics had drafted him 54th.

Imagine the strategic pettiness if they pulled this off. If your arch-nemesis drafted LeBron’s son, that would have been a much more entertaining outcome. Still, we know Bronny will have the opportunity to play with his father, LeBron James, which is pretty cool.

Hopefully we’ll see Bronny play in the Summer League. Considering how Rich Paul is setting up this whole story, I don’t know if that’s a sure thing. He said Bronny won’t sign a two-way contract that would allow him to move back and forth between the Lakers and their G League affiliate, so is the intention to sit on the bench and play in blowouts? It’s too early to tell, but the Lakers and Bronny are embarking on a real developmental journey that will require fans and fantasy managers to be extremely patient before seeing an ROI.

The Knicks have never failed to make a dent in the offseason so far, and their most recent success was securing the NCAA’s best in assists. While Thibs is another first-round talent that slipped, he’s a tight rotation, so Kolek will likely need some injuries to get into the rotation. Still, the 23-year-old prospect has shown off his efficiency, defense and playmaking skills in his final season, and is ready to contribute when given the opportunity.

The former Dukie was a projected first-round pick but fell to the Utah Jazz in the second round (32nd overall). John Collins and Walker Kessler are still ahead of him in the pecking order. However, he offers some versatility with his ability to play power forward while also being a playmaker with double-double potential. Plus, the 7-footer averaged 2.6 stocks per game, so you know Filipowski can get a D-up. Whether he becomes relevant in fantasy depends on whether Danny Ainge decides to trade away some veteran players.

The UCLA center brings instant energy and athleticism to a Sixers team that sorely lacked both last season. The Sixers have so much cap space that they could sign a veteran big to complement Embiid and Reed, but a good performance in Summer League could force Philly to rely on their young big man. He’s a two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Player whose physicality should help the Sixers’ frontcourt.