The Los Angeles Lakers continued their descent into irrelevance by signing second-round draft pick Bronny James to a multi-million dollar contract.
James, who averaged just 4.8 points per game with USC this past season, and wasn’t on anybody’s mock draft last month, grabbed himself a 4-year, $7.9 million contract.
Making it even more absurd is that the 55th overall selection got a guaranteed deal that prevents him from having to prove himself in the NBA Summer League.
By comparison, Jalen Pickett of the Denver Nuggets, who was picked 32nd last year – just outside the first round – signed a nearly identical four-year, $8.2 million contract.
Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka celebrated the rookie class in a video on X.
Rookies are here ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/t3oGqJyvlY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 3, 2024
RELATED: Flashback: Bronny James Predicted No Team Would Take Him In The Draft Simply To ‘Get His Dad’
Bronny James’ Contract Furthers The Joke The Lakers Have Become
ESPN NBA Insider Bobby Marks reported on social media that the Bronny James contract isn’t really anything out of the ordinary.
He described it as “the standard second-round pick exception.”
Others, buoyed by the guaranteed nature of the contract and the length, weren’t convinced.
Outkick’s David Hookstead described the deal as “an embarrassment to the NBA.”
“This contract is nothing short of a complete joke,” Hookstead writes. “Bronny James didn’t deserve to be drafted to begin with.”
At Bounding Into Sports, we’ve described the overt manipulation of the draft (James refused workouts with other teams, likely had advance knowledge that LA would take him) as a clear case of tampering that the league needs to investigate.
RELATED: Bronny James Says ‘It’s Tough’ Being LeBron’s Kid: ‘A Lot Of Criticism Gets Thrown My Way’
He’s Got Privilege
Aside from looking like what you’d get if you ordered Rob Lowe off of Temu, Pelinka is making an joke of himself when it comes to drafting Bronny James and his subsequent contract.
And he’s forcing it down the throats of fans as the team’s social media account repeatedly posts videos of the rookie’s work.
New Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this.”
He no more ‘earned’ his spot on the roster than Redick did in being named head coach fresh off a career as a podcaster.
As we mentioned, Bronny averaged 4.8 points per game with USC. He had a field goal percentage of 36.6% and a 3-point percentage of 26.7%. He contributed just 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
He would have been picked next to last in a rec league pickup game, yet somehow got signed to a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract with one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.
Don’t worry though folks, it has nothing to do with his last name.
“This is a serious business, and I don’t feel like there would be a thought of ‘I’m just drafting this kid just because I’m going to get his dad,’” Bronny said last month.
The younger James complained that “it’s tough” being the son of one of the greatest basketball players of all time. But it certainly has its perks. $7.9 million of them.
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