USC freshman Bronny James will weigh his options in the coming weeks about his basketball future, and the process of his next decision could accelerate with his college coach Andy Enfield departing his post at USC to take the vacant coaching job at SMU, and Eric Musselman becoming the next coach at USC.
The son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, return to USC for the 2024-25 season, or enter the transfer portal and explore his options if he wants to remain in college for at least another season.
Musselman, 59, is known as an excellent recruiter who used the transfer portal to reconstruct the Arkansas roster. The Razorbacks reached the Sweet 16 once and the Elite Eight twice during his five-year tenure in Fayetteville. Arkansas' 2022 recruiting class ranked No. 2 by 247Sports behind Duke.
Musselman has ties to the James family. Musselman coached against the older James in some of his first seasons while he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Musselman spent two seasons as the coach of the Golden State Warriors (2002-04) and one season as the Sacramento Kings coach during the 2006-07 season.
The younger James played with Arkansas signee Isaiah Elohim at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California. Musselman recruited Elohim to Arkansas before leaving his post to take the vacant job in Southern California.
Coming out of high school, James was ranked as the No. 28 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle by 247Sports. He committed to the Trojans over Oregon and Ohio State. He appeared in 25 games this season after missing the first eight games of his college career due to a scary health incident that saw him go into cardiac arrest during a summer workout.
"It's up to him," LeBron said on Bronny's draft status during NBA All-Star Game Weekend last month. "It's up to the kid. Obviously we gonna go through the whole process. He's still in season now, has the Pac-12 tournament coming up. ... We gonna weigh our options, and we gonna let the kid make the decision."
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who represents both LeBron and Bronny, said earlier this month that he doesn't "value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation."
Outside of LeBron making public comments about his son, Bronny himself hasn't given much indication of what he will do. Bronny spoke publicly only once this season and that came after his collegiate debut against Long Beach State on Dec. 10.
After losing to LBSU, he appeared at the podium for less than a minute to give a statement thanking doctors, trainers, and the support system that helped him return to play. The Pac-12 Tournament allows for open locker rooms for media, but James did not speak.
"I just want to say I'm thankful for everything," Bronny said after the LBSU game. "The Mayo Clinic, everything they helped me with. My parents, siblings for supporting me through this hard time in my life. I just want to give appreciation to everyone who's helped me through this."
Here are five things you need to know about Bronny's potential decision
1. Bronny's season was limited
It's easy to forget that Bronny's freshman season was cut short because of the scary incident from over the summer. James missed USC's overseas trip to Greece and Croatia for a three-game summer tour and was absent from the start of fall workouts before returning to the court in early December. If James didn't miss time this past offseason, it's possible he would've worked himself into a larger role from Day 1. Bronny did have a chance to make a few starts this season when fellow freshman star Isaiah Collier went down with a hand injury. With Collier returning last month, Bronny's minutes have decreased. The best news of all is that Bronny is now healthy. His return to the court should be celebrated and not overlooked because of his last name.
2. LeBron wants to play with Bronny
It's no secret that LeBron desires to play with his son in the NBA. He's been public about it for years.
"I need to be on the floor with my boy," LeBron told ESPN in Jan. 2023. "I got to be on the floor with Bronny. Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him...I don't mean like guarding one another all game - because he's a point guard and I'm a - at this point now I'm playing center or whatever the team needs from me. But I would love to do the whole Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. thing. That would be ideal for sure."
LeBron has a player option for the 2024-25 NBA season that he could hypothetically decline, which can create an easier path for the two to pair up next season in the league. The Lakers own their own second-round pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans own the Lakers first-round pick and have the right to receive their 2025 first-round pick instead.
You can't blame LeBron for wanting to play at the highest level with his son. With LeBron being one of the most influential athletes in sports, it shouldn't be surprising that if anyone can pull it off, it's him. After all, Bronny has to declare for the upcoming NBA Draft first.
3. Bronny's draft stock hard to gauge
Bronny's overall stats weren't great this season, but that won't prevent a respective team from drafting him.
The 2024 NBA Draft class is a mystery because it's one of the weaker draft classes at the top in nearly a decade. That could ultimately benefit James and convince him to declare for the draft if a team wants to take a swing on a prospect with upside.
Bronny's projections will be all over the place if he declares. Bronny's 3-point percentage has been a surprise disappointment because of what he showed at the high school/AAU level. The younger James has a high basketball IQ like his father. Two of his greatest strengths are facilitating and playing defense — both of which can translate to the next level.
If Bronny proves during workouts that he can knock down the long ball at a much more respectable clip, his draft stock will go up. James hasn't been included as a first-round pick in any of the recent mock drafts by CBS Sports.
4. USC not only college option
If James elects to return to school this fall, it would be a massive boost for USC. James could help usher in a new era of Trojans basketball in their first season as a member of the Big Ten. He would also become a focal point on both ends of the floor and would become a prime candidate to start in his sophomore season.
Boogie Ellis, Kobe Johnson and Collier are all expected to declare for the NBA Draft this summer. That means if Bronny does return, he will be one of the more experienced players on the roster. The Trojans are bringing in four-star guard Trent Perry, three-star forward Brody Kozlowski and three-star guard Liam Campbell in their 2024 recruiting class to replace production they're likely to lose to the next level.
Returning to school would allow Bronny to go through a full offseason. While returning to school appears to be less likely than declaring for the draft, it could be a viable option to improve his draft stock for the 2025 NBA Draft. It's also possible James could look elsewhere to continue his college career.
The transfer portal is a popular move for players when their respective coach departs for another job. There is no indication (for now) that this is a possibility, but you can't rule it out as a possible option if he remains in school.
5. NBA still most likely option
Declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft appears to be the most likely option for Bronny for many reasons.
The most obvious is LeBron won't be in the league forever. Declaring for the draft this year would allow the maximum amount of time to play out as a father-son duo in the NBA. Another reason: Bronny will get an opportunity in the NBA no matter what. That could be as someone on a regular contract or as a two-way player. It would seem logical for the Lakers to do everything to keep LeBron happy.
This draft class isn't filled with blue-chip talent as it has been in recent years. That's not to say Bronny will be a first-round pick if he does declare, but the chances of him getting drafted higher are much more likely.
Regardless of his last name, Bronny is a talented player. There's a reason why he was a four-star prospect, McDonald's All-American and one of the highest-ranked recruits in USC history. Bronny's decision will be one to watch in the coming days and weeks.
His decision — no matter what — will have a seismic impact on USC, the NBA Draft, or the hope of seeing Bronny and LeBron play together at the next level.
