Bronny James to remain in NBA Draft, forgo college eligibility, agent says

Bronny James has opted to forgo his remaining college eligibility and remain in the NBA Draft, agent Rich Paul told ESPN on Wednesday. 

The USC guard initially kept the option to remain in college when he declared for the draft in April. Then earlier in May, it was reported that he planned to remain in the draft. James and other players who kept the option open to return to college after declaring for the NBA Draft have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to make an official decision.

When James declared for the draft in April, it didn’t seem like a certainty that he would be selected. He averaged just 4.8 points with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game in his lone season at USC.

But James’ draft stock has seemingly improved in recent weeks. The NBA’s Fitness to Play panel medically cleared him nine months after he suffered a cardiac arrest and underwent surgery to repair a congenital heart defect, ESPN reported earlier in May.

James also seemed to impress draft evaluators at the combine earlier in May. While he was measured at 6-foot-1.5 (without shoes) compared to the 6-foot-4 height listed in his USC bio, James’ wingspan was measured at 6-foot-7 and he recorded a 40.5-inch max vertical jump. He knocked down 19 of 25 shots from beyond the arc in the 3-point shooting drill, posting the second-best score among the 71 participants at the combine. He also scored 13 points during a scrimmage at the combine.

With James staying in the NBA Draft, the attention turns to where he’ll end up. He has received workout invitations from 10 teams, but only plans to attend workouts with the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Regardless of which team drafts James, Paul said that his client will not sign a two-way deal, which limits players to just 45 days on an NBA roster.

“Bronny’s [draft] range is wide,” Paul told ESPN. “He’s a really good prospect who has a lot of room for growth. It only takes one team. I don’t care where that team is — it can be No. 1 or 58 — [but] I do care about the plan, the development, the team’s strategy, the opportunity and the financial commitment. That’s why I’m not doing a two-way deal. Every team understands that.”

James is one of “several players in consideration” to be selected by the Suns with the No. 22 overall pick, The Athletic reported earlier in May. Phoenix doesn’t have a second-round pick after losing it due to tampering violations.

The Lakers’ draft-pick situation isn’t entirely clear, but will be resolved in the upcoming days. The New Orleans Pelicans have until June 1 to decide whether they want the Lakers’ first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft or the 2025 NBA Draft. If the Pelicans opt not to take the Lakers’ pick in June’s draft, Los Angeles would hold the 17th overall pick. 

Los Angeles’ only other pick in the draft is the 55th selection, one of the final few of the draft.

The Lakers are “very open” to the idea of selecting James, in part to keep his father, LeBron James, with the organization, The Athletic reported in April. The elder James has a player option that allows him to become a free agent this offseason.

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