Bronny James

[KillerLeft]

Everyone knew Bronny was not ready to play in the NBA. He wasn't even a college starter or star.

I suspect perhaps the James family did too. Maybe themselves assessed he would NEVER be good enough, and therefore made a practical choice to get him NBA money for a few years, before he got about his life. NOW was the time they had that max leverage.

If he stayed in school to develop, there's no assurance he will ever be good enough to even play G-League. He was a scrub at college level. By coming out now and with LBJ a free agent and saying all this nonsense about wanting to play with Bronny, the meh son could get 3 years of NBA money. Sure, he could have had his daddy give him a pile of money instead, but LBJ got the Lakers to do it for him. Perks of being a superstar. And if can somehow bounce around the league for 7 more years at the end of someone's bench, trying hard and bringing the famous name, he can end up with a fully-funded pension for later. There might be some bad teams that would entertain the idea. Or maybe LBJ gets LA to keep him on the payroll as a favor, even after he fades out.

Everyone in LA is saying the right thing and being positive about his play. But I don't think they believe a word of it. They aren't that dumb. I doubt LBJ is dumb either - he knows hoops.

This is how I see it, too, right down to LeBron taking juuuuust enough less on his contract to get Bronny that guaranteed money on his deal. It's not an unheard of contract for a guy drafted in the 50's, but it's probably not a contract the Lakers would've given anyone they drafted with that pick, given the situation they're in with the cap, especially with LeBron's max putting them over the 2nd apron. There was obvious quid pro quo there, and I can't believe people bought the idea that LeBron's magnanimous gesture had anything to do with adding "talent" to the team. Maybe he was open to taking even less to do that, idk, but the cynic in me wonders if misdirection wasn't the true aim of those media leaks, all along. 

And, it's not inconceivable that LeBron can last long enough in the NBA to get his son another guaranteed contract on his way out the door.