Over the weekend, reports circulated that Bronny James, the oldest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, could stay at USC for another year to further his growth and increase his draft position. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul clarified Saturday night, telling ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Bronny’s decision would be based on team interest rather than predicted draft stock.
Bronny has faced significant challenges throughout his first year at USC. He suffered a cardiac collapse in August and had heart surgery prior to the season. By all accounts, he has had a good reLast in the Pacific-12.
For those who only look at the boxscore after each game, James does not appear to be a one-and-done prospect. The 6-foot-3 guard is now averaging 5.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 19.5 minutes per game, prompting many to believe he should remain at USC for another year or more to grow.
turn to the court, with no outstanding difficulties. The squad has struggled this season, despite starting the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The Trojans entered Thursday 12-17, second to LeBron has stated several times that he intends to play with his son in the NBA. In 2022, James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, “My final year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is, I will be. I would do anything to spend one year playing with my son. It’s not about money at this time.”
It was widely expected that bringing Bronny to the Lakers was the plan, but Paul stated on Saturday that “LeBron wants Bronny to be his own man.”
The 39-year-old James is in his 21st season and recently became the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 points. He has hinted at retiring, but admits that there is no strategy for that yet.
