Bronny James signs guaranteed contract with the Lakers

Lakers rookie Bronny James has signed a guaranteed contract, agreeing to a four-year deal that could be worth nearly $8 million, people with knowledge of the contract but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

James, whom the team introduced on Tuesday, was the Lakers' second-round pick at No. 55 after one year at USC.

The Lakers will have a team option for the fourth year of the contract.

After missing the early portion of his first college season following sudden cardiac arrest and surgery to repair a congenital heart defect, James appeared in 25 games, averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Trojans.

Read more: LeBron James agrees to two-year deal to stay with Lakers, includes no-trade clause

Still, the Lakers believe James can develop into a reliable rotation player who can influence the game with his shooting and defense.

“Bronny has earned this through hard work. And for us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Tuesday. “There's a lot to like about his game. And as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he's going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”

Bronny James will be the first NBA player to share a spot on a league roster with his father. LeBron James, 39, agreed to a two-year deal with a player option and a no-trade clause on Wednesday.

“I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff, and the internet and stuff and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity,” Bronny James said. “But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it’s nothing different. But it’s more amplified, for sure. But I’ll get through it.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.