Bronny James reportedly signs multi-year contract with Lakers, will play in NBA Summer League

Bronny James will be getting a spot on the Los Angeles Lakers’ 15-man roster.

The Lakers plan to give the rookie guard a multi-year, guaranteed contract after selecting him with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Bronny James and rookie Dalton Knecht will participate in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues prior to start to 2024-25 season, according to Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

James’ agent, Rich Paul, said ahead of the NBA Draft that his client wouldn’t be signing a two-way deal, regardless if he was drafted or not. A two-way deal wouldn’t give James a spot on the active roster and he would’ve been limited to playing in 50 NBA games. He also wouldn’t be eligible to play in the postseason if the Lakers made the playoffs. 

While signing a guaranteed contract won’t restrict the number of games James can play in the NBA, several second-round picks sign two-way deals in order to maximize their playing time in the G League. However, Paul believes that keeping James on an NBA roster on a full-time basis will best help his development.

“This is nothing new,” Paul told ESPN in June. “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.”

Second-round picks don’t have a set rookie wage scale. But if a second-round rookie signs a fully guaranteed contract, it’s typically around the league minimum. The minimum for a rookie player was set at just above $1.1 million in the 2023-24 season.

James was viewed as a borderline draft pick as a prospect by many evaluators. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game as a freshman at USC this past season, playing in 25 games following his cardiac arrest in the summer of 2023. 

The Lakers’ reported decision to give James a fully guaranteed contract comes as they’re working out a deal with his father. LeBron James opted out of his contract in June, making him a free agent. The elder James is reportedly expected to remain in Los Angeles and was willing to take a pay cut in order to help the team add in free agency. However, the Lakers missed out on Klay Thompson, who was reportedly one of their top free-agent targets.

In addition to drafting the younger James, the Lakers selected Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick in the draft. They also found a new head coach after their first-round exit in the postseason, hiring J.J. Redick to replace Darvin Ham earlier in June. Re-signing guard Max Christie is the only move they’ve made in free agency so far. 
 

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