USC wing Bronny James will keep his name in the 2024 NBA Draft, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. After being medically cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel, he “will participate in all pre-draft activities, starting with the Draft Combine.”
James, 19 years old, suffered sudden cardiac arrest last July while at practice. Though he made a full recovery, his age and lack of an underlying medical condition made many wonder whether the incident was career-threatening.
Sources: Bronny James is expected to stay in the 2024 NBA Draft. The USC freshman has been fully cleared to play in the league as part of Fitness to Play panel and will participate in all pre-draft activities starting with the Draft Combine this week. pic.twitter.com/UDf3HanCAS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 13, 2024
James still has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft. That said, if he’s leaning towards staying, James is either receiving promising intel or just feels particularly confident in his ability to rise up draft boards. He may also even —as former NBA star Baron Davis mentions—feel more comfortable with the NBA’s style of play than the NCAA’s.
Bronny James Expected to Remain in NBA Draft
After a highly anticipated college decision, James opted to play for the USC Trojans.
He could have went to Oregon, a school that’s churned out several current NBA players. His home state Ohio State Buckeyes were also an option. However, James chose to stay close to his family, which proved to be a fateful decision
His anomalous medical concerns aside, James had as poor of a freshman season as possible. In 25 games, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals in 19.3 minutes per game. Even worse, he shot 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from 3. The six games that James started were no better, with him averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game while shooting 32.6 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from 3.
His lack of touch undermined his feel for the game. His passivity shrouded his playmaking potential in mystery. James’ defense looks like it will translate to the next level. Yet, even the best defenders in the NBA need to be able to make a consistent impact on offense.
It’s Time to Make Noise
That being said, the NBA Draft Combine is a great opportunity for James to make some noise.
Depending on his workout activity, his build and explosiveness may attract teams looking for players that are physically ready for the NBA. In the scrimmages, he’ll have an opportunity to put his basketball IQ and passing ability on display. New skills that James may have developed since the end of the 2023-24 season might be seen as well. To that point, teams will almost certainly be interested in seeing if he’s improved as a ball-handler and finished. Practice is different than game action but his performance in shooting drills could renew confidence in his 3-point stroke.
