USC Basketball: How Bronny James Could Stay Local Even After College

An expert speculates about his NBA future.

Fresh USC men's basketball combo guard LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., an 18-year-old fresh out of high school, may be sticking around Los Angeles beyond just college.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, an NBA team scout believes that James could follow in his father's footsteps, meaning specifically that he could be moving from the Galen Center to Crypto.com Arena, should he declare for the 2024 draft.

“I think Bronny will go in the draft because of who he is, and some team will really think LeBron will come if they draft him,” the scout opined to Scotto. “If the Lakers get a pick, they won’t pass on him. He’s a decent player. He’s better than some guys who may get picked ahead of him. He’s solid, not spectacular. He knows how to play. He can handle the ball well enough. If you leave him alone, he’ll drill a three. He reminds me of Austin Rivers as a player, and he’s stayed in the league for over a decade.”

As a reminder, Los Angeles owes its own first round draft pick to the New Orleans Pelicans, either in 2024 or 2025 (the Pelicans will get to pick). Of course, the Lakers could also try to trade into the first round, too.