USC guard Bronny James enters NCAA transfer portal
USC guard Bronny James has officially entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. James entered the portal following the departure of Trojans coach Andy Enfield for SMU, and he also entered his name into the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility.
James appeared in 25 games this year, including six starts, after missing the start of the season as he recovered from cardiac arrest over the offseason. The son of LeBron James, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 steal during his time at USC.
“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs but all added to growth for me as a man, student and athlete,” James wrote in his Instagram post. “I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility, and will also be entering the NCAA transfer portal. Thank you to USC for an amazing freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”
James arrived on campus as a highly touted recruit. A four-star prospect, he was the No. 25 overall prospect from the 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 was the only service to rank James as a five-star.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
Bronny James’ post-college basketball future has been widely discussed. LeBron has indicated he wants to play in the NBA with his son, but at age 40, previously admitted he doesn’t have much longer left in his career. In addition, his agent Rich Paul – who will also represent Bronny after he signed with Klutch Sports for NIL representation – said LeBron might not be set on playing with his son after all, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Here’s one thing that won’t be a consideration, I was told by Rich Paul: the idea that he needs to play with LeBron James, be on the same roster, play with him on the Lakers. As Rich Paul said to me, if it organically happened, LeBron would be head over heels excited to play with Bronny,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown last month.
“But in Rich Paul’s words, LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man. It’ll certainly be something as we get further into the spring, and he’s got a decision to make. They’ll have time to get a real sense of where they stand in the NBA for this 2024 draft.”
Bronny James is also the highest-profile athlete in college sports with 13.3 million social media followers – just in front of LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne. He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $4.9 million to rank No. 1 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. His NIL portfolio includes a deal with Google after appearing in a commercial for “Fast X” last year.