Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, has announced that he will be leaving USC next season and declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while keeping his college eligibility. After playing just one season with the Trojans, James entered the NCAA transfer portal. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, James plans to work out for NBA teams and make a draft decision based on their evaluation.
Despite being a four-star recruit and the 27th overall prospect in the Class of 2023, James’ freshman season was delayed due to a cardiac arrest incident during a preseason workout, which revealed a congenital heart defect. When he did make his debut in December, James only averaged 4.8 points in 19.3 minutes per game for a struggling USC team. The Trojans finished 15-18 and saw their head coach Andy Enfield depart for SMU earlier this week.
Now facing multiple options for his future in basketball, Bronny James must decide whether to jump to the NBA or stay in college. While there has been speculation that an NBA team might take a chance on him in hopes of persuading LeBron James to join them, it is uncertain if he is ready for such a leap. Alternatively, James could choose to stay in college, with potential landing spots including SMU, Oregon, and Ohio State.
Entering the transfer portal has opened up various paths for James, creating a question mark around where he will play next season. Depending on the interest from NBA teams and his development, James could spend time in the G League before becoming a full-fledged NBA player. For now, his basketball future remains uncertain as he explores his options.
