When would Bronny James be eligible to play in the NBA? How old is he?

With the 2023 NBA Draft now behind us, many will have noticed that there was one famous name we didn’t see, and that’s Bronny James, son of arguably the NBA’s best player ever, LeBron James. The question is of course why and moreover when will we see him in the NBA?

Introducing Bronny James

As LeBron James’ oldest son and one of basketball’s most touted young prospects, Bronny James has a lot to live up to. Of course, being the son of a player who is firmly in the ‘GOAT’ conversation and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer does bring with it some degree of automatic attention, but it would be unfair not to acknowledge the stellar career that the 18-year-old has begun to forge for himself. Following a four-year stint at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, James committed to play his college ball at USC. What that means, is that he’ll be representing He’ll be suiting up for the Trojans in the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Now we imagine that you’re probably thinking that if he’s only starting college this fall, it’ll be quite some time before he makes his NBA debut. Yet, when we consider the sensational way in which he’s played up to this point, and the fact that his father’s career as incredible as it still is, won’t continue for many more years, it’s widely expected that Bronny will go one-and-done in the NCAA. That will afford him the opportunity to be one-half of the first father-son duo in NBA history.

So, when will Bronny James be eligible for the NBA Draft?

The earliest James will be eligible to play in the NBA is the 2024-25 season. The reason why, is because the NBA’s rules require a player to be at least 19 years old during the calendar year in which the draft is held, and at least one year removed from high school graduation. Being a member of the high school class of 2023, the first NBA Draft he could declare for would be in 2024. With that in mind, we should state that it’s not guaranteed that Bronny spends just one year in college. Realistically speaking, he won’t be a starter for USC this coming season, with scouts describing him as being still too raw. It could just be that he takes another year to develop, rather than jumping straight into the NBA.

Bronny James’ scouting report

Let’s first consider the words of one recent report that reads, “The skill and IQ are already in place. The next step is fine-tuning those tools and growing his game as his body becomes more developed.” At 6-foot-3, Bronny James isn’t the biggest of guys on the court, but it goes without saying he’s still got some growing to do both physically and in terms of his attributes. That being said, there are no reviews of his skill set that don’t paint a picture of a future star. So, what are his strong points you ask? Known for his ability on defense, James is considered an excellent reader of the game. Indeed, he’s widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the class of 2023. While it’s true that his offensive contribution in the first three years of his time at Sierra Canyon was nothing to shout about, that all changed in his senior year when his perimeter shooting and playmaking were impressive, to say the least. It’s clear he is not the same type of player as his father, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Will Bronny James play with LeBron in the NBA?

To hear his father tell it, it’s a certainty. Indeed, it’s been years now that LeBron James has been outspoken about his desire to play with his son one day. “My last year will be played with my son,” James said in 2022. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.” For the moment we can only wait to see, but if the above-mentioned factors prove to be true, it could be that we see this happening sooner rather than later.