Duquesne Coach Dru Joyce III Fuels Bronny James Transfer Rumors With Cryptic Tweet

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It’s unclear what the future currently holds for Bronny James, but Duquesne head coach Dru Joyce has plenty of people speculating he could take his talents to Pittsburgh courtesy of a cryptic tweet referencing LeBron’s signature pregame ritual.

In March, Bronny James wrapped up his freshman season at USC after bouncing back from the scary cardiac incident that transpired last summer, and he ultimately appeared in 25 games for the Trojans while averaging 4.8 points and playing close to 20 minutes per contest.

You’d be hard-pressed to find many players with that stat line who decided to declare for the NBA Draft after their first season in college, but you’d also be equally hard-pressed to find many players whose dad is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and has hinted he would play for any team that signed him.

Scouts do seem to be impressed by Bronny’s defensive prowess, and there’s reportedly a belief he wasn’t able to show off his true potential by being deprived of the opportunity to play point guard at USC.

With that said, it’s very hard to imagine any NBA team is going to use a lottery pick on James, which means he’ll likely be playing at another school after announcing his intentions to transfer pending the outcome of the 2024 NBA Draft.

A few programs stand out from the rest of the pack when it comes to potential destinations. Ohio State has been floated as a top contender thanks to LeBron’s relationship with the school, and there’s also a chance he could reconnect with former USC coach Andy Enfield at SMU.

There’s also a bit of a dark horse in the form of the Duquesne Dukes, who recently hired Dru Joyce III, who has been friends with LeBron since they played together at St Vincent-St. Mary’s High School (where Dru Joyce II has been coaching for 25 years).

On Wednesday, Joyce revved up the rumor mill thanks to a cryptic tweet that showed him mimicking LeBron’s signature pregame powder toss—a message that sparked a number of responses from people who were convinced he was teasing Bronny’s arrival.

It’s worth noting that tweet was posted shortly before former Marshall guard Cam Crawford announced he was transferring to Duquesne, and it’s hard to imagine Bronny is going to make any announcement until the NBA Draft wraps up at the end of June.

With that said, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on the Dukes.