Bronny James Signs Multi-Year Guaranteed Rookie Contract With Lakers: Report

EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 02: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 02, 2024 in El Segundo, California. Bronny James has signed his guaranteed rookie contract with the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are betting big on Bronny James being the elite talent they hope they can mold. Their bet has also led to their 20-time All-Star combo forward LeBron James staying in-house, as he finally gets to live out his dream of ending his NBA career with his son on the same court.

Read more:Lakers, LeBron James Agree to Massive New Contract — With One Surprise

Rumors and speculation had spread fast that LeBron would remain with the Lakers if they drafted Bronny, and that was seemingly confirmed on the second night of the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny was selected No. 55 overall, ending months of questions regarding which NBA team would actually draft him.

Though there were reports of at least five teams being interested in the younger James, many of those teams might not have wanted to bend to the demands of Bronny's agent, Rich Paul. One such demand was a guaranteed contract, which has now reportedly been signed by the young prospect.

NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic reveals that Bronny has signed his guaranteed rookie contract, which equates to four years and $7.9 million, with a team option in the fourth season.

Bronny wanted to go to a team where he could truly develop, and the Lakers were willing to roll the proverbial dice on the former USC Trojan. The good news is that Bronny will get to learn under some of the best talent in the NBA, like his father LeBron, All-NBA center Anthony Davis, and ascendant shooting guard Austin Reaves.

Bronny found himself in a scary situation in July 2023, when he collapsed during practice due to a cardiac arrest. It was determined that he was suffering from a congenital heart defect that was treatable.

Bronny was still able to suit up for the Trojans but was kept on limited minutes due to the cardiac arrest he suffered. Despite the limited minutes restriction, he was also able to work himself into the starting lineup. The sample size of his play at USC was not enough to truly determine if Bronny was a special talent, but he was also not given the time to truly shine.

Bronny did impress at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, and he worked out for both the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. The Suns had heavy interest in the younger James, but the night of the draft produced a story that indicated Paul was calling teams and threatening them with news that Bronny would play in Australia if they tried to draft him.

The stage was set for the Lakers to draft Bronny, and see him and LeBron become the first father-son duo to ever play in the NBA at the same exact time. Though Bronny will need to still prove himself on the court during the Summer League and in the regular season, he will now be able to develop for the next four years, per his guaranteed contract.

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