Report: Bronny James Likely to Stay in 2024 NBA Draft After Season at USC amid Rumors

Bronny James is taking the next step toward joining his father, LeBron James, in the NBA.

The younger James is expected to remain in the 2024 NBA draft after exploring his options, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony also reported the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel has cleared James, paving the way for him to participate in the predraft combine and eventually NBA games.

James' decision comes after he declared for the draft but retained his college eligibility by entering the transfer portal on April 5:

The transfer portal part was notable since USC head coach Andy Enfield left the Trojans for SMU after James' freshman season. That led to rumors about the guard's future, and LeBron even weighed in by telling reporters there were "tough decisions" ahead:

James arrived at USC with plenty of hype, considering he is the son of one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was highly regarded outside of just his family ties, as he was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

However, he didn't make his debut until mid-December because he suffered cardiac arrest during an offseason workout.

While he showed flashes of his potential at times, he was largely inconsistent as a freshman. James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting only 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from deep.

Under normal circumstances, someone coming off a freshman season like that for a team that didn't even make the NCAA tournament wouldn't be considering the NBA. But being the son of an NBA legend means any draft discussion about James does not fall under the category of normal circumstances.

LeBron has long discussed wanting to play with Bronny in the NBA, and the King has a player option for the 2024-25 campaign. In theory, he could decide to sign with whichever team drafts his son.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman mentioned that possibility in March when exploring James' draft prospects:

"In the late first round, all it takes is one team to see a worthwhile gamble on James' shooting progression and the likelihood it creates a three-and-D, rotational guard outcome.

"There is also the potential LeBron James package-deal factor, which could increase the temptation to reach on Bronny earlier.

"However, his scoring inefficiency has raised questions about his ability to create, finish in the half court and hit jumpers consistently. He hasn't demonstrated any single, convincing skill for scoring at the next level. And teams might not believe James' defense and passing IQ are enough to justify NBA minutes."

There are still plenty of questions about how James will translate to the NBA, but he is reportedly moving on from college after only one season.