Bronny James‘ future is up in the air, and as a result, he’s giving himself as many options as he possibly can. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, James decided to both enter the 2024 NBA Draft and put his name in the NCAA’s transfer portal, which gives him the option of returning to college if he wants.
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
Not long after this, Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the news, while James posted an image announcing his intentions to his Instagram account before quickly deleting it. Eventually, James did announce his decision and made it a point to thank USC “for an amazing freshman year.”
USC Trojans freshman guard Bronny James will enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and will also enter the transfer portal, he said on Instagram Friday. pic.twitter.com/uZlqrfQPvb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 5, 2024
It’s not a huge surprise that James would look to leave the Trojans, as the head coach who brought him to USC, Andy Enfield, left the school to take the SMU job. While the school hired Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, James has the opportunity to keep his options open and is taking advantage of it — according to Wojnarowski, Duquesne is a potential landing spot if he does decide to transfer, as the school is coached by his dad’s longtime friend, Dru Joyce III.
James’ freshman year at USC got off to a difficult start after he went into cardiac arrest during an offseason workout. He eventually took the floor in December but struggled to find his footing, as he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.