University of Southern California freshman guard Bronny James will forgo the remainder of his college eligibility to enter the 2024 NBA Draft, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN.
“He's staying in the draft,” Paul told ESPN a few hours before the NCAA deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The No. 54 prospect in the ESPN 100, James had a strong pre-draft process that elevated his status from fringe player to draft contender. The son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, James declared for the draft and entered the transfer portal in early April. As expected, he is wrapping up his college basketball career and turning his full attention to the NBA.
“Bronny's [draft] “There's a wide range,” Paul told ESPN. “He's a really good prospect with a lot of room to grow. He just needs one team. It doesn't matter where that team is. It doesn't matter if it's No. 1 or No. 58. [but] I care about the plans and developments: the team's strategy, opportunities and financial commitments. That's why I don't do two-way deals. Every team understands that.”
Each NBA team has three two-way contracts in addition to the 15 regular roster spots. With a two-way contract, a player can only be on an NBA roster for 45 days and is paid accordingly. The rest of the season is spent in the G League. Two-way contracts are often offered to second-round draft picks and undrafted prospects.
The 19-year-old James tested as one of the fastest and most explosive players at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month in Chicago, finishing second out of 71 participants in two 3-point shooting drills. James also scored 13 points in a scrimmage against the combine team.
He took part in a packed pro day at the Lakers' practice facility last week, again showcasing his highlight reel explosiveness and improving perimeter shooting ability.
James enrolled at the University of Southern California last summer after performing well in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit, but his freshman season was marred by cardiac arrest in July and surgery to repair a congenital heart defect that sidelined him for nearly five months.
He made his collegiate debut in mid-December and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game as USC finished with a disappointing 15-18 record and near the bottom of the Pac-12 standings.
James was medically cleared to be draft eligible by the NBA's Fitness-to-Play panel on the eve of the draft combine, allowing him to fully participate in on-court activities this week, according to ESPN sources.
With just a month until the NBA Draft on June 26-27, Paul said he and his team are still strategizing which team workouts to hold and how many.
“It's still under consideration,” Paul told ESPN. “A lot of teams have reached out to me. We'll have to go through the practices and see who's the real deal and who's not. There are only two or three teams that could get him, and that's how I'm going to approach it.”
There was a lot of buzz about Bronny James going to the Lakers because he's LeBron James' son.
“The Lakers need to look at Bronny the same way they look at him as any other team,” Paul told ESPN. “If they value him enough and he's on their team, that's great. If it's not the Lakers, that's great. I wouldn't be upset if it's not. Obviously people have heard about father and son playing together, but that's not our focus. If it happens naturally, great. I'm not going to act on it.”
“I don't have unrealistic expectations for Bronny. He's far from a finished player. But he's off to a great start. He's in a good spot. … I don't think he'll go undrafted, but if the situation doesn't make sense and he has to go undrafted, I'm OK with that.”
James, an undrafted player, could sign a free agent deal with any team.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analysis service used by the NBA, NCAA and international teams.
