USC Basketball: Bronny James Reveals Final Choice Between NBA Draft, College

Will he continue his NCAA career or hope to move on to the pros?

Mar 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Kijani Wright (left), guard Boogie Ellis (center) and guard Bronny James (6) react against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-USC Trojans guard Bronny James is officially going to be a one-and-done college player.

The 6-foot-4 Sierra Canyon School product, 19, will stay in the 2024 NBA Draft and will not remain in the league's transfer portal, his agent Rich Paul at Klutch Sports has revealed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"Bronny's [draft] range is wide," Paul told ESPN. "He's a really good prospect who has a lot of room for growth. It only takes one team. I don't care where that team is -- it can be No. 1 or 58 -- [but] I do care about the plan, the development. The team's strategy, the opportunity and the financial commitment. That's why I'm not doing a two-way deal. Every team understands that."

Wojnarowski notes that, beyond teams' 15-man standard rosters, all 30 NBA clubs boast three two-way contracts, which they use to toggle developing talent between the NBA proper and the G League. Theoretically, should James go undrafted, he could find his way onto a roster that way — except Paul has already said James would reject a two-way deal.

Still, given that James' enticing run through the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month in Chicago seemed to help him rocket up draft boards to become ESPN's No. 54-ranked player in a 58-player draft, and considering that his dad's team, the Los Angeles Lakers, possesses the No. 55 pick (and the No. 17 pick, though it's doubtful the still-very raw James goes that early, which would put him closer to the terrain of ex-Trojans teammate Isaiah Collier than seems fair), it seems all but assured that that would effectively be Bronny James' draft floor.

Bronny James averaged 4.8 points on a .366/.267/.676 slash line, 2.8 boards, 2.1 dimes and 0.8 swipes in his 25 available battles (six starts) for a 15-18 Trojans team that missed the NCAA Tournament in what wound up being Andy Enfield's final year with the program. He's thought of as, ceiling-wise, being a solid point-of-attack defender. Quesitons linger (naturally) about his shooting and distributing at the next level.

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