USC freshman Bronny James will keep his name in the 2024 NBA Draft and forfeit his remaining college eligibility. James' agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, told ESPN of his client's decision ahead of the NBA's midnight ET withdrawal deadline on Wednesday.
James had a strong pre-draft process leading into the withdrawal deadline date with a good showing at the Combine and good testing, which included a 40.5 inch standing vertical jump and a 13-point performance in the second and final day of scrimmages in front of LeBron and Savannah James.
Despite averaging just 4.8 points and 2.1 assists per game for USC as a freshman this season, NBA teams have shown interest in him leading into next month's draft after showing he belonged at the NBA Draft Combine. The rise has culminated with a move from unranked to No. 56 in the CBS Sports Big Board, making him a projected second-rounder.
Complicating his projection is that Paul has publicly insisted that Bronny is being selective about who will and will not receive private workouts with him leading into the draft. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Bronny had at least 10 workout invites from NBA teams but only a few -- among them the Lakers and Suns -- will receive visits as they try to steer him to a specific spot. Paul has also made it clear that Bronny does not intend to sign a two-way deal and is seeking a guaranteed contract, which would seemingly suggest he could be selected late in the first round or early in the second round.
