Bronny James is entering the transfer portal, but it’s uncertain whether he will actually play college basketball next season.
The son of LeBron James announced Friday that he would declare for the 2024 NBA draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility and also entering the transfer portal, leaving all of his options open for next year.
James arrived at USC last summer with lots of fanfare, but endured a serious medical scare before his freshman year began when he suffered a cardiac arrest during a team workout in July. Fortunately, James was able to make a full recovery and was cleared to return to action in late November. He began playing for the Trojans in December and played in 25 total games as a freshman, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 19.4 minutes per game.
Given his limited action as a freshman, it’s uncertain whether James would be selected in the 2024 NBA draft if he chooses to stay in the draft. His father has expressed a desire to play with his son before he retires, which could bolster Bronny’s draft stock as a team could draft him with the hope of ultimately reuniting him with LeBron.
Should Bronny choose to stay in college, it appears unlikely he will stay at USC after his coach from this past season, Andy Enfield, left USC from SMU. The Trojans hired former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman as their new head coach on Thursday.
The No. 22 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, James will undoubtedly draw substantial interest in the transfer portal. Ohio State has already drawn speculation as a potential destination for James given that his father is an Ohio State fan who grew up in Akron and has donated to the OSU basketball program.
James visited Ohio State as a high school recruit and the Buckeyes are in the market to add another transfer guard following the departures of Roddy Gayle Jr. and Scotty Middleton. Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch reported Friday that “the Buckeyes are likely to look at pursuing him a second time.”
James has until May 29 to decide whether or not he will remain in the 2024 NBA draft or remain in college for his sophomore year. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “the pre-draft plan will be for James to meet with targeted teams for workouts and interviews ... and find out whether there's a potential developmental situation -- regardless of draft position -- that would make sense for him to stay in the draft.”
