Bronny James agrees four-year, $7.9 million contract with Lakers

Bronny James is getting a real chance.

The No. 55 pick in the NBA draft has agreed to a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers, the final year of which is a team option, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. This is a minimum rookie contract.

Bronny needs that time to develop. The 6’1″ guard came off the bench for USC last season, averaging 4.8 points a game, and has work to do to become an NBA-level player. Bronny is just doing that in a spotlight never focused on a late second-round pick because he is the son of LeBron James, the just-re-signed face of the Lakers franchise and a guy in the GOAT conversation.

“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny said Tuesday when introduced to the media. “I’ve already seen it on social media and on the internet talking about I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”

Bronny will make his Lakers debut in the California Classic in Sacramento, then in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League (along with fellow rookie and No. 17 pick Dalton Knecht). Bronny will spend time with the Lakers this season but likely spends much of his first year (and possibly his second) playing for the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G-League team, where he can get real run. Scouts like Bronny’s athleticism, basketball IQ, and point-of-attack defense, but he has a long way to go with his handles, shooting, and all-around game to become an NBA rotation player. When he was drafted that led to talk of nepotism, but new Lakers coach J.J. Redick shot that down.

“Rob [Pelinka, Lakers GM] and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this through hard work.

“For [the Lakers], prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as Case Study One, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game. As we build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have the opportunity to be an excellent NBA player.”

He will have that opportunity and get paid for at least three years.