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The LA Lakers signed Bronny James to a four-year, $7.9 million guaranteed contract on Wednesday, according to NBA insider Shams Charania. This news came only hours after LeBron James' reportedly agreed to a two-year $104 million guaranteed max deal with LA.
As things stand, the Lakers are likely to be impacted by the second apron. Even though Bronny's contract is the standard length of a rookie deal for a second-round pick, several Lakers fans have taken to social media to vent their concerns about the deal potentially triggering the second apron.
"3 years guaranteed as the 55th pick lmfao," one fan wrote.
"Lakers are a joke. Imagine giving the worst draft pick in NBA history a 4 year deal," another fan said.
Players drafted in the second round are not usually afforded the security of a guaranteed deal. Several fans have latched on to this and alleging nepotism.
"Definitely not nepotism," one fan commented.
"First I had Bron for Father of the Year now I have Bron for Father of the Century," another fan said.
It has been suggested that LeBron James should take a $1,000,000 pay cut to allow the Lakers to stay under the cap to trigger the second apron. Some fans see Bronny's deal as a potential way for him to make money back for his father.
"Really happy family managed to salvage that $1M paycut Bron will potentialy suffer," one fan commented.
"Deeper in the second apron," another fan said.
Let us understand the financial implications of Bronny's deal for the Lakers.
How does Bronny James' contract affect the Lakers' cap?
Although Bronny James faced the vitriol of fans for his contract, it likely will not be much of a factor in determining where the Lakers end up in their payroll flexibility.
The Lakers' current salary cap is $190 million, which is only $1.1 million above the second apron limit of $188.9 million. Bronny's contract does not affect the cap until July 31. The Lakers are reportedly trying to restructure contracts in a way that fits under the limit.
"I would expect the Lakers to be under the second apron after their free agent contracts are signed," ESPN's Bobby Marks tweeted.
It is important to note that even if the Lakers get below the undesired second apron, they can still only make trades that match the salaries of outgoing players but not pay over that amount.
