The NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel plans to inform teams Monday that it has medically cleared USC freshman Bronny James and, as a result, James is expected remain in the NBA Draft, per Shams Charania. Charania notes that James will participate in all predraft activities, including this week’s NBA Draft Combine where he will receive a ton of attention.
James announced in April that he was entering both the NBA Draft and the NCAA transfer portal. He and USC teammate Isaiah Collier were both among the 78 players invited to the Draft Combine, which is in Chicago.
A former top-30 prospect in the class of 2023, James suffered cardiac arrest during a summer workout and missed a good portion of his first collegiate offseason after undergoing a procedure to correct a congenital heart defect. He was not cleared to play until November and he made his USC debut on Dec. 10 against Long Beach State, playing 17 minutes off the bench and hitting one of his three 3-point attempts.
The 6-foot-4 and 210-pound James ended up starting six games in January and February and finished his freshman season with 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 37% from the field. Though none of CBS Sports’ NBA experts included James in their most recent mock drafts, he’s sure to get some looks given his pedigree — he’s the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar and future hall of famer LeBron James — and former blue-chip status.
Bronny is certainly expected to draw some attention at this week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
What would Bronny’s NBA stock look like if he were not LeBron’s son?
Here’s what Adam Finkelstein said of Bronny in February.
Bronny deserves credit for playing the right way, valuing the ball, being a willing passer and, most of all, defending. In fact, it’s been the defense that has translated best so far at USC. He’s still not the creator that some assumed he’d be based solely on his name. But, the fact that his 3-point shooting has yet to translate to the college level has been the biggest offensive surprise.
He’s a good athlete, with a compact and powerful body. But, he’s probably not the 6-foot-4 that USC lists him as. For a guard who plays primary off-the-ball to this point, that makes him undersized by NBA standards.
As we said last year: “His NBA projections depends on the extent to which his father ties the end of his career to Bronny’s location.” That continues to be true since, up to this point, Bronny has not done enough to be in the NBA draft conversation.
Finkelstein thinks regardless of how Bronny performs this week at the NBA Draft Combine, he will be a Los Angeles Laker this next season and fulfill his father’s dream of playing with his eldest son. The Lakers have the No. 17 pick in the 2024 Draft and own their second round selection.
