Why the Miami Heat drafting Bronny James isn't as crazy as it seems

In one of the latest Bleacher Report articles, they have the Miami Heat as one of the top two landing spots in the draft for the services of Bronny James, the son of LeBron James.

The former USC Trojans guard declared for the NBA draft a couple of months ago, and surely any player linked in DNA to LeBron is going to create some polarizing headlines. James is coming off a freshman year in which he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Now, this statline does not jump out as a top prospect, and James is not viewed as one either. But there is plenty of potential here, more so with his defensive abilities. He can defend either guard position and provide point-of-attack defense and size on the perimeter. James is expected to be chosen during the second round of this year's draft or possibly undrafted.

Armed with two picks in June's NBA draft, the Miami Heat have a chance to make a dramatic addition and create a full-circle moment for a franchise great.

The other top landing spot reported is indeed the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron's current team. The Lakers have reportedly expressed an interest in drafting James and are willing to pair the father-son duo together on the court next season.

However, the Lakers might not have a first-round pick if the Pelicans elect to accept their 17th overall pick as part of a previous trade, while the Heat are choosing 15th overall. Miami also owns the 43rd in the second round, 12 spots ahead of the Lakers' second-round pick at 55 overall. So the Heat have two chances to draft Bronny before the Lakers have one.

Miami has the chance to pull together a full-circle moment with a second-round draft selection of Bronny. There is clearly a history here, with LeBron delivering back-to-back championships to South Florida over a decade ago. He and the James family had good memories in this place. If playing with his son and creating the first-ever father-son duo in the history of the NBA is still something that is enticing to LeBron, this could be a destination for both of them.

A lot of moving parts would need to go into a reunion like this following a Bronny-Miami draft pairing. Although LeBron is expected to decline his player option and hit free agency, the financial situation for the Heat to bring in someone of LeBron's caliber is limited. The Heat don't have cap space, but perhaps they could execute a trade (if LeBron opts in) or a sign-and-trade if LeBron wants to sign a new contract.

It is unclear just how serious Pat Riley and the Heat front office are about a Bronny draft choice within the next month and a half, but it is worth noting that ESPN's Brian Windhorst confirmed that the Heat have scouted Bronny earlier this year.

The Heat have a reputation for finding and developing talent. This goes with both drafted and undrafted players over the years. There's no doubt that Bronny could be another success story as a developmental piece in their system. Even more so, with the potential help of LeBron around to mentor his son in a place he called home for four years of his legendary career.