Bronny James' contract highlights disparity between 2nd round pick's salary on Lakers and recent #55 picks in NBA
Bronny James has reportedly signed a deal with the LA Lakers after the 17-time NBA champions drafted him at 55. The Purple and Gold made another controversial move regarding Bronny, giving him a four-year, $7.9 million guaranteed deal to start his career.
HoopsHype's official X account shared a notable difference between Bronny James' salary and four players who were recently drafted at 55.
Kyle Guy, who was drafted by the Houston Rockets and traded to the Kings, received a two-way contract from Sacramento. Next year, Jay Scrubb, originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets and traded to the LA Clippers, got another two-way contract. Aaron Wiggins was drafted by the OKC Thunder in 2021, getting another two-way contract.
Gui Santos was drafted by the Warriors in 2022 and got $75,000 guaranteed by the then-NBA champions.
Now, Bronny James is getting a millionaire contract to start his career, after being selected at 55, amid a controversial decision by the Lakers. Bronny has been very vocal about the expectations and comments surrounding him. He's keeping receipts to motivate himself in the association.
"It's for sure amplified the amount of pressure," James said. "I've already seen it in [social] media and on the internet and stuff talking about [how] 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."
Nick Wright defends Bronny James after rookie got $7.9 million deal
Veteran analyst Nick Wright shared his two cents on this situation, calling out the people criticizing Bronny and the Lakers over this contract, noting that players drafted lower than Bronny last year got 'the exact same deals.'
“This is so disingenuous & unfair to the kid involved,” Wright said. “For the record, the 57th & 58th picks of last year’s draft got essentially the same exact deals Bronny just got. Let’s at least try to be fair here.”
Bronny will make history when he shares the court with his father, LeBron James, next season, but he's keen to establish himself as a solid NBA player. After spending a single season at USC, James didn't have the best numbers, but many folks believe his style of play can translate better to the NBA.
In 25 games last season, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Bronny shot 36.6% from the field, 26.7% from deep and 67.6% from the free-throw line.