Bronny James Rumors: Ohio State 'Likely' to Pursue USC Guard in Transfer Portal

Ohio State is "likely" to look at pursuing former USC guard Bronny James in the transfer portal, according to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch.

Jardy noted that the James "heavily considered" becoming a member of the Buckeyes out of high school before he eventually joined the Trojans.

The son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James declared for the 2024 NBA draft in an Instagram post on Friday, although he'll also be maintaining his college eligibility as he chose to enter the transfer portal as well.

If the younger James goes through the pre-draft process and decides to return to college, Ohio State is an enticing option as he visited the school in 2022. His father is also an Ohio native and a notable Buckeyes fan, with the four-time MVP telling Cleveland.com back in 2013 that "if I had one year of college, I would have ended up here."

James' younger brother, Bryce, also took an unofficial visit to the campus in Oct. 2023.

The 19-year-old wrapped up a tumultuous freshman campaign with the Trojans, averaging just 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.1 percent on two-point field goals and 26.7 percent on three-pointers.

He missed the start of the season after suffering cardiac arrest during an offseason workout in July, delaying his debut until Dec. 10. James was never able to find a consistent role with USC, bouncing back and forth between the starting lineup and the bench.

In the most recent NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, James was not selected in either of the two rounds. If he's unable to impress scouts and improve his draft stock, he'll likely continue his collegiate career and transfer before pursuing a move to the NBA once again in the future.

The Buckeyes certainly won't be the only team vying for him, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that James will also consider joining Duquesne if he foregoes the draft.