USC Trojans guard Bronny James announced earlier this offseason that he was both declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft and entering the NCAA transfer portal. After evaluating his options, it appears a decision has likely been made regarding his future.
Bronny, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, enrolled at USC last year with the hopes of immediately becoming an impact player. Unfortunately, he suffered cardiac arrest during an offseason workout with the team and didn’t return to the court until late in December.
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- Bronny James college stats (ESPN): 4.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 36.6% FG. 26.7% 3PT
The 6-foot-4 freshman guard saw significant laying time in January, but USC’s coaching staff reduced his minutes to under 20 minutes per contest beginning in mid-February. Following a challenging freshman season, he left his options open for both the 2024 NBA Draft and transferring to another school.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, James is expected to stay in the NBA Draft instead of returning to college basketball for a second season. The decision comes after the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel cleared James to play, per Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
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James is poised to participate in all pre-draft activities at the NBA Draft Combine this week in Chicago, including the 5-on-5 game. While he’s not currently viewed as a first-round talent, the hope is a strong showing will improve his draft stock.
What team will draft Bronny James?
For years, LeBron James publicly shared his desire to be teammates with Bronny James in the NBA. However, in 2023, the Lakers’ star seemed to back off that desire, showing much more openness to his son playing elsewhere. While it is still a dream for the two to play together, it’s not something James is demanding from the Lakers.
Related: NBA insider reveals Lakers’ stance on drafting Bronny James
With Bronny currently projected to be a second-round pick, here are a few potential landing spots for him in the 2024 NBA Draft.
- Detroit Pistons: While the Detroit Pistons don’t have their original second-round pick (31st overall), they do hold the 53rd overall pick via the New York Knicks. The Pistons were the worst team in basketball over the last two seasons, they need to try everything to improve. While Bronny James will never be a high-end player, he is well-regarded for his defense, basketball IQ and intangibles. The Pistons could certainly benefit from adding that to their rotation, even if the rookie is coming off the bench.
- Indiana Pacers: We’re targeting either young NBA teams with plenty of minutes up for grabs or contenders with multiple second-round picks. The Indiana Pacers have three selections in Round 2 (36th, 49th and 50th overall). James could be grabbed in the back half of the second round. For a team that lacks much defense, James could provide that in limited minutes as a rookie. Indiana would also provide him with a competitive environment and his traits fit well with what a playoff contender wants from a depth player.
- Sacramento Kings: The marketing opportunities that would come from “King James” playing for the Kings will never happen, but Bronny would improve Sacramento’s depth. Similar to the Pacers, Sacramento offers the rookie a chance to play for a contender without being a media spectacle and allowing him to avoid a huge market that hyper-fixates on his play.
- San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich might not love spectacles, but there’s far less attention for the San Antonio Spurs if they draft Bronny with the 48th overall pick. Victor Wembanyama will always have the spotlight, so there’s no real pressure put on Bronny. He can just add depth for the Spurs at guard and the on-court qualities he offers are things Popovich should like.
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