Bronny James Staying In NBA Draft, Will Not Return To College

Photo: Instagram/Bronny James

Bronny James has decided to stay in the 2024 NBA Draft and not return to college, according to his agent, Rich Paul. Paul confirmed this decision to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony, stating that Bronny will not sign a two-way deal with an NBA team.

Bronny, the 19-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James, had until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to finalize his decision ahead of the June 26-27 draft. After declaring for the draft in April, Bronny kept his college eligibility and entered the NCAA transfer portal. It was expected he would go pro after being medically cleared by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel earlier this month. Bronny had experienced a cardiac arrest during a workout last July.

Currently, Bronny is projected to be picked in the second round of the draft. The Phoenix Suns, who hold the 22nd overall pick, will be hosting a workout for him this week, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Despite receiving many workout invitations, Bronny is expected to only visit a few teams, including the Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Photo: Instagram/Bronny James

Paul emphasized that Bronny will not sign a two-way deal and expects him to be on an active roster. "Bronny's draft range is wide," Paul told ESPN. "He's a really good prospect who has a lot of room for growth. It only takes one team. I don't care where that team is — it can be No. 1 or 58 — [but] I do care about the plan, the development."

As Bronny prepares for the NBA, there has been speculation about the future of his father, LeBron James. LeBron has a June 29 player option deadline, and some teams believe drafting Bronny could increase their chances of signing LeBron. The Lakers, who have the 55th overall pick, are among those teams. However, Paul said he wouldn't be upset if the Lakers pass on Bronny, emphasizing the importance of the right situation for starting Bronny’s NBA career.


Paul also stated, "I'm not putting unrealistic expectations on Bronny. He's far from a finished product. But he has a hell of a start. He's positioned well... I don't see him not getting drafted, but if it got to a point where the situations didn't make sense and we needed to go undrafted, that's fine."

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Source: Yahoo Sports 

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