Bronny James, a freshman guard at USC and the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, announced on Friday he plans to enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Following the departure of USC coach Andy Enfield to SMU, James will also enter the transfer portal.

“I’ve had a year with some ups and downs, but all added to growth for me as a man, student, and athlete,” James wrote in a post on his Instagram. “Thank you to USC for an amazing freshman year, and as always thankful for my family, friends, doctors, athletic trainers and fans for their support.”

James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19 minutes a game during his first season in Los Angeles. He was a 247 Composite 5-star recruit coming out of the 2023 class, but his college career was initially derailed by a heart issue last July.

The McDonald’s All-American suffered sudden cardiac arrest in the summer and was subsequently hospitalized. It was later revealed that a congenital heart defect caused the episode, and James was sidelined for 5 months as a result. James made his collegiate debut against Long Beach State on Dec. 10.

He scored in double-digits only 3 times as a freshman, but James’ minutes were also closely monitored throughout the season. He played more than 25 minutes in a game only 3 times in his 25 appearances. James made 6 starts while shooting 37% from the field and 27% from the 3-point line.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @bronny

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, James will need to be evaluated and approved by the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel before he can become eligible to participate in team workouts, the draft combine in May or be selected in the draft. However, he can still conduct interviews with teams without the medical clearance.

He will meet with “targeted teams” for workouts and interviews ahead of the May 31 deadline to stay in the draft in order to gauge what his options are. Wojnarowski reported on Friday that James will look to determine if there’s a “developmental situation” regardless of draft position that would make sense for him to remain in the class.

Should he return to college, Wojnarowski reported that Duquesne could be a significant player in James’ re-recruitment. The school’s new coach, Dru Joyce, was a high school teammate of LeBron’s at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron. After both were initially involved in his recruitment, Oregon and Ohio State could be in the picture as well.