Bronny James has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and also entering the transfer portal, he announced on his Instagram page Friday.
He will go through the draft process next month, meeting with teams and receiving feedback before any decision is made. NBA teams have been anticipating this since the start of the season, scouting him all year and gathering background intel.
The 6-foot-3 freshman guard had an underwhelming season at USC, averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game. He made a remarkable return to the court after suffering cardiac arrest and undergoing surgery last August.
After four months away from basketball, his first game back was Dec. 10 against Long Beach State, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds in 17 minutes.
James' impact was felt almost immediately on the defensive side of the ball with how well he guarded the perimeter. But the Trojans struggled with on-court chemistry and dealt with injuries all season, finishing 15-18 and failing to make the NCAA tournament.
LeBron James has said multiple times that he hopes to play with his son in the NBA. In 2022, James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, “My last year will be played with my son.
The 39-year-old James is in his 21st season and this season became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points. He has hinted at retirement but admits there is no plan yet for what that looks like.
"I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left, I know it's not that many," James told reporters before the All-Star Game. "I am a Laker, and I am happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way.
The Lakers have the 55th pick in the draft this year and that could be a landing spot for Bronny if he does decide to stay in this draft class. In a draft that is wide open, there is room for a team to take a swing on Bronny with LeBron also sweetening the deal.