A lot of attention has surrounded Bronny James after USC coach Andy Enfield left for SMU.

Bronny James has been arguably the most publicized basketball player in college basketball. The attention towards him only grew larger once USC head coach Andy Enfield left the program to take a job at SMU.

Since Enfield’s departure, rumors and reports have been flying around about Bronny’s future with the Trojans. As of now, Bronny is currently a student at USC and has not entered the college basketball Transfer Portal but the noise is getting loud around him, especially after an erroneous Tuesday night report.

LeBron James fielded questions about his son’s potential portal plans in the midst of it.

“I don’t know where it came from, but at the end of the day, Bronny’s his own man,” LeBron said following the Lakers’ victory over the Raptors on Thursday. “He has some tough decisions to make and when he’s ready to make those decisions he’ll let us all know. But as his family, we’ll support whatever he does.”

With a hectic offseason ahead of him, 247Sports decided to weigh out some of Bronny’s potential “tough decisions.”

THE TRANSFER PORTAL/COLLEGE OPTION

Entering the transfer portal is one of the options on the table.

Bronny came into college as the No. 28 player in the 2023 class. However, after a health scare, Bronny never really found his footing at USC as he would go on to average just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 36.6% shooting. Now that the coach that recruited him to USC has left, a new start at a new program might unlock James’ full potential.

But, finding the right landing spot for himself might be harder than it seems.

Realistically speaking, Bronny’s options in the Transfer Portal could be more limited than other players. Although he’s a great prospect, James would have to commit to a coach that wants him and all the attention that follows him. Finding someone who understands that balance would be the ideal scenario for him if he wants to continue his college career.

Towards the end of his senior year of high school, Bronny committed to the Trojans over opportunities at Memphis, Ohio State and Oregon. If he were to jump into the portal, it would be a safe bet to think that all three of these schools would still be interested in Bronny’s services.

Not to mention, Duquesne — where hired his father’s close, childhood friend, Dru Joyce III, was just hired as the head coach — could potentially come into the mix. Also, other schools with close ties to his father and the Klutch Sports Group might take a chance on managing his stardom.

THE NBA DRAFT OPTION

LeBron James has been adamant for years about wanting to play with Bronny in the NBA. So much so, that King James even starred in a Beats by Dre commercial centered around the concept.

But, the 39-year-old has also toyed around with retirement. Recently, he took things a bit further by making it clear to the media that he won’t be in the NBA for much longer.

“I do not have very long,” LeBron said when recently asked how long he plans on continuing his career. “I am not going to play another 21 years. I do not know when that door will close as far as when I will retire, but I do not have much time left.”

With LeBron’s time in the NBA coming to an end and Bronny’s college future on shaky ground, it could be likely that Bronny rejects the grey area of college sports and elects to enter the NBA Draft. This would create a scenario where the dream LeBron has been manifesting for years could come true.

A little over a month ago, 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstien noted that all signs point to the Lakers’ selecting Bronny in this year’s draft. After teasing a potential return to Cleveland and playing around with the Knicks fans’ hearts, LeBron seems to have rededicated himself to Los Angeles. This leads Finkelstien to believe that James and Klutch will use their financial relationship with the Lakers to get Bronny on his father’s team.

“So, it all boils down to this: Bronny James be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers next year, in my opinion,” Finkelstien wrote. “This isn’t based on his play at USC. Instead, it’s a byproduct of his father’s stardom and his correlated influence. Also, to sweeten the pot for LA, LeBron will likely take a multi-year deal instead of a one-year contract.”

Now, giving the cards Bronny has been dealt, it’s seeming as though Bronny is inching even closer to diving into the NBA Draft. Early entrant college players have until April 27 to submit their names for the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny’s status will be the most compelling draft decision to watch as we inch closer to the date.