Reports circulated Tuesday that Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA icon LeBron James, would leave Southern California and enter the college basketball transfer portal. It could be a development worth watching for wagering at top US betting sites.
There are hundreds of players already in the portal, plenty of whom put up better stats than the freshman guard. James averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds a game for the Trojans this past season. However, few, if any, are as well-known as James, who was rated the 17th-best prep recruit heading into last fall.
James’ USC stats don’t pop out, but remember that he missed the first month of the season after suffering a cardiac arrest over the summer. He only shot 36.6% from the field, but he was a 48.1% shooter inside the 3-point arc and had a nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, it’s very likely James will improve upon his freshman stats. The question is, where? We at USBettingReport.com, your source for legal online sports betting, have come up with odds for where James may land for next season.
Bronny James Transfer Portal Destinations
These odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any licensed sportsbooks in U.S. markets, such as BetMGM Sportsbook or Caesars Sportsbook.
Is Ohio State The University For Bronny?
USBettingReport.com sees the Ohio State Buckeyes as the favorites to land James.
LeBron James was a high school star up the road from Columbus, in Akron. He played 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading them to the franchise’s only NBA title in 2016. Also on Tuesday, Ohio State scored a commitment from Meechie Johnson, a player LeBron James has called his “nephew” because of his friendship with Johnson’s father. Ohio State has also reportedly offered a scholarship to Bryce James, Bronny’s younger brother and a recruit in the Class of 2025.
It’s highly likely that Bronny James will end up at a Nike school, considering that his father has a lifetime contract with the shoe and apparel maker. Ohio State is a Nike school, but there are other high-profile Nike schools in college basketball. Hoops followers at mobile sports betting apps might be intrigued by OSU already under Jake Diebler, who was interim coach at the tail end of this season and did well enough to land the job full-time.
Those would include Oregon, where Nike is based and where co-founder Phil Knight attended. Nike also outfits Kentucky, and coach John Calipari might be looking to the portal this offseason to help fill holes in the roster because several underclassmen are likely to declare for the NBA Draft.
Speaking of the draft, it is an option for James. The league would need to clear James – also, though he was once considered a lottery pick, his stock has slid over time. Still, his dad has made it clear that he wants to play in the league with his son before he retires. Declaring for the draft now could lead to the younger James going unpicked, which would allow any team – including LeBron’s Los Angeles Lakers – to sign Bronny to a two-way contract and continue his development in the G League.
The Lakers, by the way, have odds of -112 to make the NBA Playoffs this season at FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds of missing are -108. They entered Wednesday as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, which means they are likely headed for a play-in.
USA Today photo by Kirby Lee
Other Potential Destinations For Bronny James
If you’re looking for a longshot possibility for Bronny James, consider SMU. This week, the Mustangs hired Andy Enfield, James’ coach at USC, to lead the team. And the program starts play in the ACC next season after moving from the American Athletic Conference. It’s not as a high-profile of a school, but James has a relationship with Enfield, and SMU also is a Nike school.
There’s another school to consider that’s not listed above. Fresh off a victory over BYU in the NCAA Tournament last month, Duquense last week hired Dru Joyce III to replace the retiring Keith Dambrot as the Dukes head coach. Joyce played high school ball with LeBron James in Akron, and the two remain friends. The small Pittsburgh school, which also wears Nike, might not be in a big conference, but mid-major schools are known to produce NBA talent.
The 2023-24 college basketball season concludes in less than a week as the Final Four tips off this weekend. Oddsmakers at Fanatics Sportsbook have made UConn the favorite to repeat as champions, with the Huskies’ odds at -200. Purdue is the second choice at +200. Alabama (+1600) and North Carolina State (+1800) are considered longshots to cut down the nets Monday night.
