USC Basketball: Bronny James Reportedly Worked Out For Powerhouse West Team

The one-and-done combo guard is looking for an NBA home.

Mar 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) deflects a rebound away from Washington Huskies center Braxton Meah (34) and guard Sahvir Wheeler (5) during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

One-and-done now-former USC Trojans combo guard Bronny James worked out for perhaps his most inevitable possible NBA destination this past Thursday.

According to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, the 6-foot-4 guard tried out for the Los Angeles Lakers, the team his dad, 20-time All-NBA forward LeBron James, has called home since 2018.

Woike cites the defensive upside, athleticism and long range sniping that James displayed at last month's NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

LeBron James, meanwhile, has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season, and theoretically could decline it and join his son wherever he is drafted.

Bronny had an underwhelming run with an underwhelming 15-18 Trojans team in 2023-24, during its last season under ex-head coach Andy Enfield, before he departed for Southern Methodist University this year. The former four-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth averaged 4.8 points on a .366/.267/.676 slash line, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 dimes, and 0.8 swipes per bout, across his 25 healthy games (six starts).

The Lakers currently have the Nos. 17 and 55 picks in this month's forthcoming 2024 NBA Draft. It seems quite possible that, despite his lackluster numbers at the NCAA level, Bronny James will get selected in this draft. His intriguing output during combine activities at least indicates that there's room for him to grow from that health-hampered collegiate run. Whether he'd get any kind of meaningful run on a win-now team like the Lakers, at least during his rookie pro season, remains to be seen.

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