The Los Angeles Lakers took Bronny James with the 55th pick of last month’s draft. Shortly after, his dad, LeBron James, opted out of his contract. There really wasn’t much concern that the elder James would head to a different team, we were mainly waiting to see what his new contract would look like.
Now, we have our answer: $104 million over two seasons. The deal includes a player option for the 2025-26 season and a no-trade clause. James and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns are now the only two players in the NBA with no-trade clauses.
The Lakers also agreed on a deal with Bronny James, inking the rookie to a four-year, $7.9 million contract. The final year of that deal is a team option. That means LeBron and Bronny are set up to be the first father-son duo to ever take the court together in an NBA game.
Bronny James (L) and LeBron James (Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
LeBron will turn 40 on December 30, while Bronny’s 20th birthday is on October 6. Most players don’t continue playing into their 40s, but of course, LeBron is not most players.
He set the league’s all-time scoring record in 2023, breaking the previous mark of 38,387 set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James is the only player to surpass 40,000 career points, and he’s in the top ten in a handful of other categories, including assists (fourth), steals (eighth), and made free throws (third).
He’s also the only player to earn 20 All-Star appearances and be named to 20 All-NBA teams, 13 of which were first-team selections. Though the Lakers have been inconsistent since he joined in 2018, either missing the playoffs or losing the first round in four of six seasons, he did win a championship in 2020. That came two years after a string of eight straight finals appearances when he was with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers — three of which ended in titles.
Put simply, he’s had an incredible career.
Fair or not, LeBron’s success puts more pressure on Bronny. Nobody is expecting anything near what LeBron has put up; Bronny is 6’1″ without the ridiculous strength and athleticism of his father. But because of who his dad is, he’ll likely face more criticism from the media, fans, and perhaps even opposing players.
Still, Bronny and LeBron have the chance to do something no father and son have ever done before. When they first check into a game together, it will be yet another historical moment in the James family tree.