Bronny James is officially playing alongside his father, LeBron James now that the Lakers rookie just signed a guaranteed contract.
Bronny, selected late in the second round in the 2024 NBA Draft, has inked a multi-year again, guaranteed contract with Los Angeles. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the four-year deal is valued at $7.9 million and includes a team option for the fourth season. That’s a real contract for a 55th draft pick.
Not for nothing, this contract solidifies Bronny’s place on the Lakers’ roster for the 2024-25 season, marking a notable exception for a second-round pick who usually must compete intensely in the NBA Summer League and training camps to secure even a two-way contract.
Nope, not Bronny. Forget that, ha!
Rich Paul, Bronny’s agent, was adamant that Bronny would not sign a two-way contract, telling Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, “Yes, that’s absolutely true. Teams know that. I’m not doing that.” I’m not doing that he said, like he’s suiting up. That power is real.
While Bronny’s guaranteed contract is unusual for a second-round pick, it’s not unprecedented, just rare. In the previous year’s draft, Jalen Pickett, selected 32nd by the Denver Nuggets, signed a four-year, $8.2 million contract with $5.8 million guaranteed. Key numerical value – 32.
Similarly, Chris Livingston, the last pick in the second round, signed a four-year, $7.6 million deal with $3 million guaranteed. Notably, Rich Paul also represented Livingston, highlighting his influence in NBA negotiations. A ha.
Naturally, during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, as we reported, Bronny expressed his excitement about joining the Lakers and playing alongside his father. “Everything has been so surreal. Just trying to take it all in day by day,” he said. “Extremely grateful for everything that JJ [Redick] and Rob [Pelinka] have given to me. I’ve just been extremely excited to get to work.”
Bronny is aware of the heightened expectations and scrutiny that come with his high-profile entry into the NBA. “For sure an amplified amount of pressure. I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff on the internet, talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity,” he said. “But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.” Uh, ya think?
New Lakers coach JJ Redick, who himself has immense pressure, emphasized that Bronny earned his spot through hard work. “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as a case study. His base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing; there’s a lot to like about his game.”
Whelp, let’s see how that goes. Not like the Lakers needed a veteran outside shooter or anything.
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