Duke basketball recruiting: What's new with Bronny James sweepstakes?

Bronny James might set a record for the most hush-hush recruitment ever.

Duke basketball recruiting prospect Bronny James (Nathan Papes-USA TODAY Sports)

In late June, Sierra Canyon (Calif.) shooting guard LeBron James Jr. — the famous namesake of LeBron James who goes by Bronny — saw his ranking slide. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound four-star, who has worn Duke basketball gear before, was nearing a five-star rating but fell 13 spots to No. 47 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite.

Regardless, the 17-year-old's game is promising. And James' mere presence could significantly add to his teammates' NIL value wherever he ends up after high school.

So he may have countless options.

But nobody seems to know which schools or professional routes are in the mix for his services. No, there's been nary a peep from the James camp, not even about the contents of the rising senior's offer sheet.

However, as Eric Bossi of 247Sports noted in an article on Wednesday, Duke is among a handful of programs that have popped up as possible incognito suitors of James over the years:

"Sure, there have been some schools mentioned as chasing him at one time or another (Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, Tennessee, and others have come up), but nobody knows for sure if any school is actively pursuing James, and if they are, we've never heard from James about who he's most interested in."

Bossi described the recruitment as a "total mystery" but seemed hopeful that folks might get some clarity later this month as summer action heats up:

"James has been kept at 'hands off' status from the media. Will July be the month where we finally hear from him about what he sees as potential routes for his future?"

We'll keep an eye out for that.

Does Duke basketball need a player like Bronny James?

Duke already has a five-star 2023 commit at Bronny James' position in fundamentally sound shooting guard Jared McCain. First-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff also have three more five-stars on board: point guard Caleb Foster, small forward Mackenzie Mgbako, and power forward Sean Stewart.

RELATED: Decommitted five-star recruit eyeing Blue Devils

Yes, Bronny James would amplify that group's popularity. And it could strengthen Duke's image to have LeBron James sitting behind the bench during some games.

Still, until the world receives more intel, there's no telling if the Blue Devils — or anyone else, for that matter — view him as a target.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.