After one season of college basketball at USC, Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has already signed his contract. James' contract is for four years and worth around $7.9 million.
Amid signing his Lakers contract, Bronny James got a special shoutout from the USC men's basketball team congratulating him on achieving his dream of playing in the NBA. The four-year deal is not unheard of for players being drafted around the same pick as James was. Just last year, Chris Livingston, another Rich Paul client and the last pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, signed a similar contract. As did Trayce Jackson-Davis, the No. 57 pick in the 2023 draft.
James was introduced at a press conference this week alongside Lakers first round pick Dalton Knecht. He's expected to make his Lakers debut at the California Classic Summer League this week before accompanying the team to Las Vegas late next week.
Leading up to the NBA Draft, James had only worked out for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. He was not interested in signing a two-way contract. Even so, James will likely spend most of the 2024-25 NBA season playing for the Lakers G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Bronny James incredible journey from USC to the Lakers
For Bronny James to make it this far is such a miraculous feat. Before his freshman season at USC, James went into cardiac arrest and it was unknown whether he'd play basketball again. But James was able to make a remarkable recovery and return to the court.
He appeared in 25 games for the Trojans, including six starts, at a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists with splits of 36.6 percent shooting from the field, 26.7 percent shooting from the three-point line and 67.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Despite James' underwhelming numbers, he had been considered an NBA prospect due to his skill-set. He's a good defensive player, he can shoot from three-point range percentages notwithstanding and he can handle the ball and be a good playmaker. Those skills were on display during the NBA Draft combine. He's always been an NBA prospect in his own right since his high school days at Sierra Canyon, regardless of who his dad is.
One of the driving factors in limiting where James worked out before the draft was finding a team that was truly invested in his development as an NBA player and not just because they might be able to lure his dad.
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