After months of speculation that the Los Angeles Lakers would draft Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, the team drafted the young prospect with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Read more: Bronny James, Son of LeBron, Drafted by Lakers in Second Round of NBA Draft
Though there had been speculation that LeBron could opt out of his contract and sign with another team, the addition of Bronny all but guarantees the elder James will finish out his career with the Lakers.
The Lakers were likely one of the only teams that were going to agree to the demands that Bronny and his agent, Rich Paul, had. This includes the guarantee of a normal contract that would not make him a two-way player. Paul indicated that Bronny would only go to a team that guaranteed they would develop him, and it appears that guarantee is now set in stone.
According to longtime NBA insider Shams Charania, “Bronny James plans to sign a multiyear guaranteed rookie contract with the Los Angeles Lakers… The No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft starts his NBA career on the Lakers roster.”
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Instead of having to play for a G League team, Bronny is set to sign a guaranteed rookie contract that will ensure he is on the Lakers roster. This is a highly unlikely situation considering many rookies taken in the second round often don’t make an NBA roster.
Bronny only spent one season with the USC Trojans before he decided to forego his college eligibility and bet on someone drafting him in the NBA. Despite rumors of deals made behind the seasons regarding the Lakers and LeBron, the team saw enough to want to draft the young prospect.
Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19 minutes a game during his only season with the Trojans, but he impressed at the NBA Combine. It was known that the Phoenix Suns and Lakers were interested in drafting the younger James, but at least five teams were reportedly interested in him.
The Lakers and Paul had other plans though, as during the night of the NBA Draft, Paul had reportedly called other teams and told them that Bronny would go to Australia if they attempted to draft him.
Thus, the Lakers were able to land Bronny with the No. 55 pick, and he can now develop under one of the best organizations in the NBA.
Despite his impressive combine performance, Bronny might not get many minutes off the bench unless he impresses during the Summer League. Either way, he will now be the first person in NBA history to share the court with his father at the same time.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.