USC Basketball: Bronny James Declares For NBA Draft, While Also Keeping Options Open

Matt Levine | Apr 5, 2024

The wait is over, USC Trojans' freshman guard Bronny James has declared for the NBA Draft. The Athletic's Shams Charania broke the news about the guard's intentions.

USC freshman Bronny James is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. James, 19, also is entering NCAA transfer portal to maintain flexibility. The combo guard will work out for and visit NBA teams and make a draft decision based on evaluation. pic.twitter.com/azJgWNNqmQ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 5, 2024

James will also enter the transfer portal from USC to maintain flexibility in case he isn't drafted or can't land with a team. He didn't have a great freshman season with the Trojans, in part due to some health issues that he suffered prior to the start of the year.

Charania reported that James will work out for teams to see where he stands in terms of being drafted. The most important thing for James will be to head to a team that can help him develop his skills.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @bronny

There has been a lot of talk about what James would do, especially considering he is the son of NBA legend LeBron James. Now that he will be entering the NBA Draft, we can expect teams to be thinking about the possibility of selecting him, to then potentially entice his dad to come play for their franchise.

The elder James has spoken at length about his desire to play alongside his son at the NBA level, so there is a chance. He can opt out of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer also, giving more fuel to the idea.