Soon-to-be former USC Trojans freshman combo guard Bronny James will be leaving the club, considering he's not projected to be a top-58 talent (two teams stripped him of their draft picks). He seems to think so. As for his next basketball step, he plans to keep his options open. The 6-foot-4 combo guard from Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth declared for this year's NBA Draft while also entering the NCAA transfer portal. Either way, his days at USC are over.
This is not surprising. Playing under departed head coach Andy Enfield, the 19-year-old averaged just 4.8 points, .366/.267/.676 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games (six starts). Ta. His limited appearances are even more disappointing considering USC went 15-18 and missed him in the NCAA Tournament.
Still, NBA scouts believe he has real professional potential as a very raw prospect at this point. Shams Charania of FanDuel TV's Run It Back explains it all.
“Bronny James has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, but remains eligible for college, entering the NCAA transfer portal and intends to leave USC no matter where this ends up.” Charania said. “I hear this is just the beginning of the process, but Bronny James' priority is obviously to remain in the draft, but that depends on how he is evaluated from team workouts and team visits. “He's going to have to go.'' Through this thorough evaluation through the pre-draft process. ”
“When you talk to NBA teams, there's a clear consensus that he's already reached the quality of being an NBA defender as a defender,” Charania added. “We know about his basketball IQ, obviously he has great genes, but his shooting, his offensive game, his ball handling, those are all things that scouts and talent evaluators will look at as he goes through the pre-draft process. I think it's something to keep an eye on. But there are drafts to be in, and this is probably the draft to stay in no matter how you look at it.”
