Bronny James is expected to sign a multiyear guaranteed rookie contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
After being drafted 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Lakers, Bronny will now have the chance to finally take the court next to his father, LeBron James, with his guaranteed second-round contract. There were some question marks regarding of whether a team was going to target Bronny in the draft, but after Rich Paul told teams not to draft him, it became clear that Los Angeles was going to make LeBron's dream come true.
It should not come as a surprise to see Bronny receive a guaranteed contract from the Lakers. Not only is he LeBron's son, but Bronny is a player the Lakers truly had interest in throughout the pre-draft process. Although it will take time, the Lakers believe the younger James has the potential to develop into an impactful talent in due time.
Also, Paul made it clear throughout the pre-draft process that Bronny would not be signing a two-way contract, which is a standard avenue of contract talks for many second-round picks in the NBA Draft.
Bronny James' role with Lakers
Just because Bronny received a guaranteed contract from the Lakers upon being drafted in the second round really doesn't mean much pertaining to his role as a rookie during the 2024-25 season.
Over the last couple of seasons, the Lakers have spent a lot of time developing their recent draft picks. Los Angeles has done this not only to try and unleash the potential of their draftees, but because this is an organization that also has high championship aspirations despite only advancing past the first round of the playoffs once in the last four seasons.
Max Christie, who was drafted 35th overall in 2022, has spent a vast majority of his career in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. He recently earned a four-year, $32 million contract due to his development with the Lakers. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, two players selected by Los Angeles in the 2023 NBA Draft, both spent a ton of time in the G League last season.
Bronny is going to be following a very similar route once the 2024-25 season begins. While it is possible that he will be on the court in a Lakers uniform at the same time as his father, a moment the NBA world is dreaming about, Bronny is set to spend a lot of time working on his craft in the G League.
The Lakers, likely Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick, will introduce Bronny to the organization at a scheduled press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
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