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NBA economics may be tough to grasp — “first apron” this, “second apron” that — but Bronny James‘ multiyear, fully guaranteed rookie deal with the Lakers, announced on Tuesday, is genuinely baffling.

Emphasis on fully guaranteed.

EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 02:  Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on July 02, 2024 in El Segundo, California.  The Lakers selected Bronny James and Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA Draft. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Not only did the sub-par college product get drafted by the Lakers because of his dad’s influence on the team, but Bronny will also benefit from having the Lakers all-in on his development with a guaranteed deal. 

Is there a high ceiling? Not really, but the Lakers figured, let’s give it a shot. And they’re desperately trying to convince fans that Bronny is the real deal, even if the stats say otherwise.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Bronny James #6 of the USC Trojans looks on in the second half of a quarterfinal game against the Arizona Wildcats during the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats defeated the Trojans 70-49. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

James appeared in 25 games in one season at USC last year, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

When asked about the guaranteed deal, new Lakers coach and former podcaster JJ Redick coddled Bronny with praise, saying James’ “hard work” earned him the contract.

“Rob [Pelinka] and I did not give Bronny anything. … He’s earned this through hard work.,” Redick said. “His base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game.” (Based on what?)

At 6-foot-1, Bronny is an unreliable shooter from medium to deep range and presents a defensive liability because of his lack of size.

Either Redick sees something about Bronny that is unavailable to the public, or he’s way off on what should be an easy player profile. 

“I feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to showcase what I can really do because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at USC,” Bronny said at the introductory presser on Tuesday.

If the nepotism isn’t apparent, look at the NBA’s Day 2 of the draft, when Bronny and LBJ’s mutual agent, Rich Paul, called teams and warned them not to draft Bronny by threatening to send him to play in Australia. It was a messy ploy to get him on the Lakers, but it worked.

Bronny received the Eli Manning treatment on draft day without the stats to back it up, bypassing sports’ inherent meritocracy. 

No matter how many times the NBA media will declare it, the nepotism weaponized by the Lakers front office to unctuously appease LeBron doesn’t seem wise.

Rather than being offered a standard two-way deal to work his way up to the Lakers, Bronny’s heading straight for the big boys table.

OutKick founder Clay Travis reacted to Bronny’s new contract with the Lakers and highlighted the Lakers’ clumsy tactic of keeping LeBron happy.

Clay posted, “Guy who would never have a chance to play in the NBA gets a multi-year guaranteed contract because of who his dad is. Legit never happened before in pro sports for an athlete in America and people in media are still defending it. Wild.”

More NBA teams are focusing on a marketable message and image over a long-term plan. At the very least, the Lakers are following this model. 

The Lakers are not holding Bronny accountable for his current skill and are overcompensating, which can work against him in the long run.

The folks on X had their own thoughts on Bronny’s deal.

“Definitely not nepotism,” one user responded.

Another fan said, “Multi-year guaranteed for the 55th pick in the draft, as in, a man who averaged 4 PPG and was a backup and only got drafted because of his name. That’s insane.”

“Also says a lot about how much the Lakers front office values LBJ,” an additional post remarked. 

Will the silver spoon lead to a bright future for Bronny?

Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com