Same as before, or is it different this time? Bronny James, the son of the highest-scoring player in NBA history LeBron James, is planning to enter the 2024 NBA Draft.
Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report this on April 5.
James revealed his decision on his Instagram page (@bronny).
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs, but all added to growth for me as a man, student, and athlete,” James wrote. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while keeping my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.”
He also expressed gratitude to USC and Trojan fans for the 2023-2024 season.
“Thank you to USC for an amazing Freshman year,” he wrote. “And as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers, and fans for their support.”
James had an average performance with 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the USC Trojans, who had the fourth-worst record in the Pac-12.
His move to the transfer portal happened before he decided to enter the draft, following the departure of USC head coach Andy Enfield to take the SMU job on April 1.
However, unlike his father, Bronny faces significant challenges to secure an NBA future.
Especially if he aims to start his future in 2024.
Bronny James’s Draft Stock
Based on his performance in high school, ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony had Bronny as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In October, Evan Tomes of NBADraft.Net wrote a profile on James, stating that he “has handled the publicity and scrutiny extremely well, given his extensive time in the limelight. He remained composed despite being targeted by opposing teams… He is likely not a top choice, but potentially a contributor/rotational player to a winning team.”
The top narrative for James has been that he is not a top choice, following a quiet freshman season.
All of the Ringer, The Athletic’s, or ESPN’s most recent mock drafts have him going undrafted, not picked in June.
One NBA executive told ESPN’s Jeremy Woo that they advise Bronny to return to college.
He shared a series of private discussions with league executives after the news of James’ decision to declare in an ESPN column on April 5.
“I don’t know if he’s going to come back [to school]. We’d recommend he go back, just because this season didn’t get off on the right foot,” the anonymous executive told Woo. “He was behind due to the cardiac episode, being away from the team, the rehab, etc. So I think going back and continuing to refine these skills [would help], because the offseason is when you really develop stuff.”
That could change given James’ decision to enter the draft, but another year might be his best option to lay the groundwork for a successful professional career.
Demonstrating that he’s fit to play will be his main focus this Spring regardless.
James’ Health a Major Concern
Considering the consistent talk about LeBron wanting to play with Bronny, it’s likely that some team (or teams) will take a chance on his son to entice the Lakers forward, who is a free agent this summer.
But above all else, teams will want assurance that his son, who experienced a cardiac episode in July, is in good health. successful operation carried out later to address his inborn heart condition.
He made his first appearance for the Trojans on December 10th against Long Beach State and encountered no problems until the end of the season.
Whether it's the NBA or NCAA, be assured that Bronny is relying on one of the basketball world's top businessmen during this process, his father, LeBron.
His approach in declaring for the draft and preserving eligibility shows a willingness to keep all options available.
