USC guard Bronny James is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft, but he will also retain his college eligibility and enter the transfer portal.

A coaching change, such as the one USC experienced with Andy Enfield leaving for SMU, is bound to have players examining their futures. If James does stay in college, a change of scenery might be what he needs to bounce back from a disappointing freshman season.

Once rumors surfaced in early April linking James to the portal, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said his son would have some "tough decisions" ahead.

Being the son of a 20-time NBA All-Star meant Bronny was a household name before he ever stepped onto a college court. He also built a strong profile for himself independent of his family name, sitting 22nd overall in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class.

James had to wait to make his Trojans debut until mid-December, though, after suffering cardiac arrest during an offseason workout. In 25 games, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Attempting to work his way into the rotation in the middle of the season was made more difficult by USC falling well short of expectations.

Along with James, Enfield signed Isaiah Collier, the top-ranked high school player in the country, and Arrinten Page, another 4-star recruit. A deep run in the NCAA tournament looked more than plausible.

However, USC was already 5-3 by the time James suited up, and things didn't get better from there. The Trojans went 15-18 overall and were tied for the second-worst record (8-12) in the Pac-12.

Thanks to his disjointed freshman campaign, what looked like a nailed-on certainty in terms of James' draft status became a little less assured. He fell down 2024 big boards, raising the obvious question about whether he might return—be it with the Trojans or another program—for a sophomore season.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman examined James' draft stock in March, setting his ceiling at the latter stages of the first round and his floor as undrafted altogether.

"In the late first round, all it takes is one team to see a worthwhile gamble on James' shooting progression and the likelihood it creates a three-and-D, rotational guard outcome," Wasserman wrote. "... However, his scoring inefficiency has raised questions about his ability to create, finish in the half court and hit jumpers consistently. He hasn't demonstrated any single, convincing skill for scoring at the next level. And teams might not believe James' defense and passing IQ are enough to justify NBA minutes."

James' slide is also notable given his father's repeated comments about wanting to team up in the NBA. LeBron is eligible for free agency, and one line of thought was that he and his son could effectively be a package deal.

The idea made more sense when Bronny was floated as a potential top-10 selection. The incentive to select Bronny with an eye toward signing LeBron became lower when he was projected as a late-first or even second-round prospect.

One silver lining is that James may avoid the pressure that would inevitably come with not only being a lottery pick but also playing alongside his dad, who's one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Declaring for the draft is the most sensible call because it allows James and his representatives to get a more firm idea as to where he stands among NBA talent evaluators. If they're getting a sense that he's a late first-rounder at best and more likely to be picked later than that, putting off his pro dreams until 2025 might be more beneficial for his career.