Bronny James is not going to announce his future college basketball program prior to the NBA Draft on the 27th of June. He might not return to school!
It will depend on how things go next month.
James, the 19-year-old son of LeBron, has been medically cleared to be drafted into the league. According to ESPN, the three physicians on the NBA’s Fitness to Play Panel evaluated and approved him to fully participate in this week’s pre-draft combine after suffering cardiac arrest and undergoing a procedure to repair a congenital heart defect.
As a result, James is expected to take part in the combine’s 5-on-5 scrimmages. They begin on Tuesday and will give NBA executives an opportunity to evaluate his play after an underwhelming freshman year at USC. It is the first chance to make a case to professional organizations about his ability to compete on the next level.
The NBA and NBA Players Association’s collective bargaining agreement requires nearly full participation in the combine for all draft prospects. That will include measurements, athletic testing, team interviews and medical examinations. Scrimmages are optional, though James is likely going to opt-in.
Bronny James’ future is still up in the air.
After the combine, he has until May 29 to make a decision on whether to stay in the draft or return to college. Shams Charania reported on Monday that James is likely going to keep his name in the mix.
Sources: Bronny James is expected to stay in the 2024 NBA Draft. The USC freshman has been fully cleared to play in the league as part of Fitness to Play panel and will participate in all pre-draft activities starting with the Draft Combine this week. pic.twitter.com/UDf3HanCAS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
This is where things get interesting.
It does not guarantee that James is turning pro. The NCAA announced a new rule in 2018 that will allow players to return to school if they go undrafted. They must “notify their athletics director of their intent by 5 p.m. the Monday after the draft.”
Technically, James does not have an athletics director to notify. He is currently in the transfer portal and has yet to make a public announcement about his next program.
Perhaps he has already made a behind-the-scenes commitment that is contingent on how things go in the draft. I admittedly do not know exactly how that works.
Either way, the decision to stay in the draft seems like writing on the wall. For Bronny James to continue forward with the process would indicate that he, his agent Rich Paul, and his dad believe that he will get picked. That could change in the next 16 days! We shall see.
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