Bronny James plans to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility and remain in the 2024 NBA Draft, his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony.
The 19-year-old James has until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to make his decision ahead of the draft, which is set for June 26-27.
James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, declared for the draft and entered the NCAA transfer portal in April while still maintaining his college eligibility, and was expected to turn pro after receiving a medical clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play committee earlier this month.
Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest during training last July.
Bronny's draft rating has him projected to be selected in the second round, and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Phoenix Suns, who have the lone pick with the 22nd overall pick, are scheduled to work out Bronny this week.
Despite receiving numerous invitations, Bronny is only expected to train with a few teams, including the Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
In an interview with Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Paul made it clear to NBA teams that his client has no intention of signing a two-way contract and expects Bronny to be on the active roster.
“Bronny's [draft] “The range is wide,” 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.”
With Bronny getting closer to entering the NBA, there's been a lot of speculation about his father's future. With LeBron's player option expiring on June 29th, some teams may be thinking that drafting Bronny gives them a better chance of signing LeBron.
The Lakers have only the 55th overall pick this year. Paul said he wouldn't be upset if the Lakers don't pick Bronny. He wants the right situation for his client to start his NBA career on a good note. Paul understands that Bronny isn't his father and that he might not get drafted at all.
“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.”
