Bronny James has entered the transfer portal while simultaneously declaring for the NBA Draft in a move that will take him away from USC.
The son of LeBron James experienced a tumultuous time at USC, which culminated in a cardiac arrest that hampered his rhythm all season.
Now, with former USC head coach Andy Enfield heading to SMU, Bronny will look for a reset elsewhere.
ESPN reported on Friday that Duquesne is a major candidate for Bronny. Dru Joyce — the new coach of the program — was LeBron’s high school teammate and remains a close friend. Duquesne also provides Bronny much needed playing time for a team that made the NCAA Tournament and won their conference this season.
It’s unlikely Bronny gets drafted this season in a slot he prefers. And LeBron has walked back his promise that he would join whichever team drafted his son, especially with renewed expectations that indicated he wouldn’t be a lottery pick — let alone a first round pick.
Bronny averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists with the Trojans this season.
My colleague and NBA expert Matt Moore had the following analysis on the matter.
The natural question to ask given this news is “What does this mean for LeBron?”
On the one hand, Klutch Sports told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that James would not be traded at the deadline and wants to continue his career in LA. Windhorst reported after the trade deadline that James is in pursuit of a new multi-year max deal to finish his career in LA.
On the other… James has had tensions with the front office over how the team has been constructed and has been frustrated with the Lakers’ inconsistency. A big reason most assumed he would stay in LA was because of Bronny’s likelihood of returning to school for USC.
But there’s also a strong possibility that Bronny goes undrafted and signs a two-way contract with the Lakers, accomplishing all of James’ goals. He gets to stay in LA with the Lakers, he gets the big money contract to finish his career, and he gets to play with his son which he has stated in the past he wanted (though he’s softened on that some with Bronny’s basketball career taking its own shape).
If Bronny transfers to any school near an NBA team, there will be instant speculation about LeBron leaving this summer for that team. If he enters the draft and is selected by a team that isn’t the Lakers, it will be the same process of speculation.
The signals are all that James intends to end his career with the Lakers. But some of that will likely be up to the Lakers and what they want for the future of the franchise, depending on how this playoff run for the Lakers does — or doesn’t— go.
