Lakers face skepticism after drafting Bronny James 55th overall | First Things First
Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard react to the Los Angeles Lakers' selection of Bronny James in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
LeBron James and his family celebrated Bronny James Thursday after his NBA dream came true.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected the 19-year-old guard in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. While Bronny prepares to play alongside his father, his younger brother also has NBA aspirations.
Bryce James, 16, will have to wait until 2026 to become eligible for the NBA Draft. The younger James is skeptical his future Hall of Fame father will still be in the league two years from now.
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Bryce James smiles after a game between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers Jan. 2, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
During a recent Instagram Live session, a social media user asked Bryce whether he believed his father would stick around in the NBA until Bryce was ready to make the leap to the professional ranks.
Bryce threw some cold water on the idea.
BRONNY JAMES TRIES TO HOLD BACK TEARS IN EMOTIONAL REACTION TO GETTING DRAFTED BY LAKERS
"I'm not gonna lie, that's OD," he said. "Nah, that's too much. No, Good Lord. He's going to be 42."
Bryce attended Sierra Canyon School in Southern California with his older brother for two years. He then transferred multiple times over seven months. In April 2023, Bryce left Sierra Canyon in favor of Campbell Hall in Studio City, California.
After playing a handful of summer league games with Campbell Hall, Bryce transferred to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. Three months later, James decided to return to Sierra Canyon.
Bryce James (5) of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cleveland High School Nov. 19, 2022, in Reseda, Calif. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
Despite being in high school, Bryce has already shown NBA potential.
The 16-year-old is already 6-foot-4 and has starred in games against other top talent in his age group. He scored 21 points in a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League game.
Bryce James and Bronny James during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Times recently reported LeBron would likely opt out of the last year of his contract with the Lakers. He has until 5 p.m. ET June 29 to inform the team of his decision.
An opt-out would make the Los Angeles Lakers forward an unrestricted free agent. However, the belief within NBA circles is that James does not intend to leave the Lakers.
In May, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said if James decided to opt out, the move would likely center on the structure of his contract. If James wants to add a no-trade clause to his deal, that could be achieved in a new contract.
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NBA rules prevent no-trade clauses from being tacked onto existing contracts via extensions. Only 10 players in league history have been able to work a no-trade clause into their contracts.
James is projected to ink a three-year, $162 million deal. He would effectively give up around $2.3 million in total money if he opts out instead of extending his player option. But he might believe the financial sacrifice is worthwhile if it gets him a no-trade clause.
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