The Los Angeles Lakers created a special moment in the 2024 NBA Draft when they selected Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James, with the 55th overall pick in the second round.
Bronny and LeBron will become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA, something that the latter has been envisioning for years now. It seemed to just hit LeBron recently though as he posted on social media to reflect on Bronny being drafted by the Lakers.
While it’s a great story, Bronny will have a lot of developing to do before he can become a rotation player in the NBA. He only played limited minutes in his lone season at USC due to a heart issue so will need to get significant playing time at the G League level to work on his game.
It appears the Lakers are confident that Bronny will develop though as according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, they are signing him to a multiyear guaranteed rookie contract:
Bronny James plans to sign a multiyear guaranteed rookie contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft starts his NBA career on the Lakers roster. pic.twitter.com/dRTgWxbGuO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2024
There are multiple ways to handle the rookie contract of second round picks. Teams can offer fully guaranteed deals, as the Lakers did here, or they can offer partially-guaranteed deals with options or even two-way contracts.
Given that Bronny is LeBron’s son though and has already had a big health scare, it is no surprise that the Lakers are treating him like family and giving him a fully guaranteed deal.
With the start of Summer League on the horizon, Bronny and the Lakers can shift the focus to the court now that his contract negotiation is seemingly taken care of.
Rob Pelinka on Bronny James & LeBron James teaming up on Lakers
After drafting Bronny James, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka spoke on how great it will be to see him wearing the purple and gold with his dad.
“In the history of the NBA, there has never been a father and a son that have shared an NBA basketball court,” shared Pelinka. “That feels like something that could be magical. We know and have to respect of course that LeBron has a decision about his opt out … Of course he has freedom to decide whatever is best for him and his family. But if it worked out that he was on our team next season, NBA history could be made.”
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