USC Basketball: How Former LeBron James Finals Teammate Feels About Bronny James Declaring For Draft

Big Perk loves that Bronny will potentially land in the NBA.

Feb 29, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) warms up before a game / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday morning, USC freshman star Bronny James made shockwaves when he announced he would declare for the NBA draft. The former Southern California guard will also enter the transfer portal to maintain eligibility if he decides to return to college. Whether he'd declare for the draft or not was a top subject throughout the year, and James finally decided.

Only time will tell whether it's the right decision. Nonetheless, people have mixed emotions about the 19-year-old's decision. However, a former teammate of LeBron James, Kendrick Perkins, loves the idea of Bronny in the NBA.

The ESPN analyst said in his recent appearance on First Take that he believes Bronny's game will translate to the NBA.

"This is the right move. I always said that I don't believe Bronny is built for college. I think he will be a hell of a pro. I'm not saying he will be his dad, I'm not saying that he's going to be an All-Star-caliber career as far as a pro, but he will have a great pro career, and when you think about in the new day, he's been around pros all his life. I actually love this for Bronny James entering the draft, testing the waters, and working out in front of NBA scouts and GMs to showcase what he's capable of doing because he's ready right now... with his game and the way he's able to stretch the floor, his IQ, his athletism, the way he defends on the perimeter, I just think it was the right move."

Bronny announced via Instagram of his decision, and we'll find out if he will head onto the pro level.
Perkins could be right. His game may be better for the pro level when you consider his intangibles and how NBA teams can utilize his skills to the best of his ability.

However, his game at USC is all he has to evaluate him, and right now, he's far from being an NBA player. His numbers back up that statement; even the eye test tells you that. He was sometimes timid with the basketball and was hardly a threat on offense. Granted, the cardiac arrest he suffered in July 2023 could be a result of his horrid freshman season.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game while shooting 36.6% from the field. Maybe Perk is right, and his game translates perfectly into the league. However, I don't see it happening right away. He may still be way away from Perkins's expectations of him.