On the second day of the draft, history stood unopposed. Teams could have leveraged the drafting of Bronny James to lure his father, LeBron James to their ranks eventually. However, with apparent strong pressure from his agent Rich Paul, no franchise decided to pull the plug. But that doesn’t mean no one came close to doing so. The Golden State Warriors in particular had every intention to do so.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Bay area had the 19-year-old prospect “on their draft board” despite never having seen him in a workout. Notably, Bronny had only done work with the Phoenix Suns and the team that drafted him, the Lakers. Even then, with his electric shooting at the draft combine and his high defensive activity, the Warriors were interested in his skillset. What stopped them? Ultimately it was respect for James.

The previous season, they made a significant push at the trade deadline. Joe Lacob, on the advice of a close friend Draymond Green, approached Rich Paul over a possible LeBron James trade. The representation was rejected. Drafting Bronny would have been the greatest leverage on their side. If not that season, they could have seen the King eventually land in the Bay to fulfill his “dream” and make history.

But they couldn’t be cruel. Shelburne details that the Warriors, who had the 52nd pick, decided to sideline their enticing hopes to “respect the wishes James had made clear,” in her ESPN story. But looking back, could the interesting prospect have aided the Warriors?

Would Bronny James have been a good pick for Stephen Curry?

Considering how the Warriors appear this season, there is a lot of room for experimentation. Among the concerns for Bronny James during his draft process has been his size. He measured 3 inches below his 6’4″ projection at USC. However, within the Warriors, size has never been a priority given their high-volume three-point shooting.

Apart from Stephen Curry, the mind goes immediately to a player such as Gary Payton II. He stands at a similar size as James and has been a pivotal role player for the Bay in recent years. His ability to shoot the ball and play hawking defense has great utility within the ball movement system. Bronny James seems to fit that mold well.

During the Summer League, his strong suit, shooting was sporadic. It started with shots barely falling, but eventually, the 19-year-old picked up a rhythm. Instead of being under the microscope of JJ Redick, with the Warriors, he would have the greatest shooter helping with the mechanics of his shot.

Steve Kerr, has stressed having a “defensive-minded” team that plays scrappy and shoots many threes. The USC product has the straps to be a great pressuring defender and his skill to space the floor would fit spotlessly on paper. Then there is the big angle, the eventual advent of LeBron James.

As cruel as it would be, the King would have got two of his wishes if he would choose to join the Bay at some point. He would get to play with his son as well as the player he has professed as a dream teammate Stephen Curry. Given the three-year window, the Warriors roughly have to make a championship push, the arrival of James would have been colossal in boosting their aspirations.

In the past, Draymond Green told Carmel Anthony he envisioned the Warriors being a championship-caliber team with LeBron James. Not only does he join with vast experience, but the prospect of playing with his sons has given him a sense of appreciation unlike any other season.

But this is all for what would have been part of NBA history. So far, LeBron James sits in his ideal setting. He is in the City of Angels relishing the chance to compete with his son.