LOS ANGELES — Bronny James agreed to a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers on Wednesday, a league source told ESPN, coming on the same day that LeBron James agreed to an extension with the team and ensuring the first father-son duo in NBA history will play for the purple and gold next season.
Bronny James' rookie contract starts at $1,157,143 in 2024-25 and progresses to $1,955,377 the following year, $2,296,271 in 2026-27 and ends at $2,486,955 for a team option in 2027-28, sources told ESPN.
The 19-year-old guard averaged 4.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting from the field (26.7 percent from 3-point range), 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game at USC after undergoing heart surgery last summer. He said the nearly five-month layoff due to the medical issue affected his development.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka praised James' mentality and potential as a point-of-attack defender, and new Lakers coach JJ Redick said James, whom Los Angeles selected with the 55th pick last week, will be a top priority with its revamped player development program.
“We see Bronny as [a] Case study one because [of] “His basic feel level, athleticism, point-of-attack defense, shooting, passing,” Redick said. “There's a lot of things we like about his game, and as we build our player development program holistically, he's going to have a great opportunity to develop into a great NBA player.”
James and Lakers No. 17 pick Dalton Knecht will make their summer league debuts Saturday in San Francisco against the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic.
The signing of James brings the Lakers' roster to 15, the maximum number of players an NBA team can have.
