Bronny James announced that he has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal.
After plenty of rumors and speculation about his future after an up-and-down freshman season at USC, LeBron's son will officially test the NBA Draft waters and re-open his recruiting.
James' first college season was anything but traditional. The 19-year-old suffered cardiac arrest during a workout in July, putting his life on hold for four months. When he finally returned to the court, James was on a minutes restriction for his first four games. It wasn't until the Trojans were 13 games into the season that the star freshman handled a full workload.
As a result, James — and USC — came up short of expectations. The Trojans missed the NCAA Tournament and James only averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
In addition to his unique medical situation, James wasn't in the best situation to showcase his potential playing behind senior guard Boogie Ellis and top-ranked freshman guard Isaiah Collier.
Now, he will go through the pre-draft process while maintaining his college eligibility with a possible change of scenery.
MORE: Bronny James' best landing spots for 2024, from the NBA to Ohio State
Bronny James declares for NBA Draft, enters transfer portal
James has declared for the NBA Draft and will enter the transfer portal.
The news comes a few days after a coaching change at USC. Former Trojans head coach Andy Enfield — whose staff played a role in recruiting Bronny — left to take the job at SMU on Monday. Four days later, USC hired former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman.
James appeared in 25 of 33 available games for USC during his freshman season, coming off the bench all but six times. The Trojans owned a disappointing 15-18 overall record, going 8-12 to finish ninth in the Pac-12.
He only scored double-digit points in three games and played fewer than 20 minutes in 15 games.
James' up-and-down season impacted his 2024 NBA Draft stock, seeing him go from a projected lottery pick to potentially undrafted.
MORE: Why Bronny James is a fringe NBA Draft pick in 2024
As his freshman season was coming to a close, his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN that Klutch Sports intends to find James the best possible situation at the next level.
"I don't value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation," Klutch Sports CEO Paul told ESPN.
He added that LeBron would, of course, be "head over heels excited" if they teamed up organically, but "LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man."
MORE: Will Bronny James get drafted?
Bronny James potential transfer destinations
Despite a slow freshman season, James will have plenty of coaches reaching out to acquire his talents in the transfer portal if he does not stay in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6-4 guard has shown flashes of pro-level skill. He is a smart and tenacious on-ball defender with a smooth shooting stroke, even if he had streaky numbers this past season. He's a connective playmaker who can play on or off the ball, making him a potential fit on just about any roster.
James had a plethora of options to choose from as a four-star high school recruit.
He originally chose USC over offers from Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon, according to ESPN. He drew interest from high-major Division-I schools like Duke, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, and UCLA. It is also worth noting that his father's high school teammate and close friend, Dru Joyce III, just took over the head coaching job at Duquesne.
If you're looking for potential landing spots for James, that list would be a good place to start.
