BRONNY JAMES 'PLANS TO SIGN GUARANTEED MULTIYEAR DEAL WITH LEBRON'S LAKERS' LIKELY WORTH MILLIONS MORE THAN CONTRACTS GIVEN TO OTHER SECOND-ROUND DRAFT PICKS
- READ MORE: ESPN insider claims the NBA has always been 'full of nepotism'
- READ MORE: Bronny James will have a 'long NBA career' says coach JJ Redick
Bronny James has yet to sign his rookie deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, but when he does, LeBron's son is expected to receive a guaranteed multi-year contract worth considerably more than those signed by his fellow second-round draft picks.
Bronny was taken with the 55th selection of last week's NBA Draft by his father's Lakers despite an unremarkable single season coming off the bench at USC.
But according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, that won't stop Bronny from getting paid like a first-round draft pick.
Typically second-round picks sign two-way contracts, which allow young players to develop in the NBA's G-League while also being active for up to 50 regular-season NBA games. In 2023-24, a two-way contract paid about $560,000, or half the league's rookie minimum.
For comparison's sake, the 55th pick of the 2023 draft, Isaiah Wong, signed a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers and is now an unrestricted free agent with an uncertain future in the NBA.
Bronny, on the other hand, will likely make millions – and do so with far more job security.
Previously, in May, agent Rich Paul told Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes that Bronny did not intend to sign a two-way deal.
Specifics on salary are not yet known because unlike first-round draft picks, second-rounders' pay is not dictated by a salary scandal.
It is very unlikely that Bronny will receive a contract approaching anywhere near the four-year, $57 million pact awaiting first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher's signature.
Bronny is scheduled to make his Summer League debut July 6 at 4:30pm EST, when he, first-round pick Dalton Knecht and a group of Laker hopefuls will square off with the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas.
LeBron is known to train in Las Vegas during the offseason, so it would not be a surprise to catch him in the 17,600-seat Golden 1 Center.
As for Bronny's jersey, the local product will be wearing No. 9 for LA in 2024-25, the team has revealed.
Other notable Lakers to wear that jersey include Nick Van Exel, Chucky Atkins, Chris Kaman, Matt Barnes, Luol Deng, Rajon Rondo and, most recently, Sterling Brown.
Bronny's arrival in the NBA after a single lackluster season at USC prompted a debate over nepotism in the league, but at least one of the aforementioned players doesn't seem to mind.
'Let's gooooooo!!!!!!!' Van Exel wrote on X.
The former All-Star and second-round draft pick defended Bronny against allegations of nepotism on social media.
'Folks acting like this don't happen every single day in this world,' wrote Van Exel, who is now in his 50s and recently worked as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks. 'Lmao. Congrats. I can name PLENTYYYYYYYY!!!!!! In a bunch of dif professions.'
The pick comes after weeks of speculation about where Bronny would be selected in the NBA Draft. Some saw him as a potential first-round pick, while others thought he should go undrafted.
Bronny's single season of college basketball turned out to be a major letdown after the McDonald's All-American suffered cardiac arrest while practicing in July of 2023. He was cleared to return to the court, but averaged only 19.4 minutes over 25 games for the Trojans, while scoring just 4.8 points per outing.
But the LA Lakers decided that they'd seen enough and selected the 19-year-old anyway despite his limited experience and stats from college.
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