Bronny James betting: How will the rookie fare with the Lakers?

Bronny James, the most notorious 55th pick in NBA history, is reportedly signing a multi-year, guaranteed contract with the Lakers. It's rare for a late second-round selection to sign a guaranteed deal, but James' agent, Rich Paul, insisted his client would not sign a two-way contract.

Paul has the leverage to secure such a deal given Bronny's father is LeBron James, who has yet to sign a new contract with the franchise despite his reported plans to.

Two-way contracts are typically assigned to players who play in both the G League and the NBA and are paid one salary for their time in both leagues. James will make more money than players on a two-way contract. However, he'll likely still spend time in the G League as he develops into an NBA player.

James will sit on the bench when he does suit up for the big leagues, though even the last few players on a roster get some playing time. There will be a moment when LeBron and Bronny share the floor, becoming the first father-son duo to do so.

There are plenty of betting markets to pounce on for the limited time James does take the court during his rookie season.

For James to make at least three 3-pointers in any regular-season game is +140 (41% implied probability). For him to score at least 20 points in any game is +800 (11% implied probability) and 30 points is +4000 (2% implied probability). All markets are available on theScore Bet.

James never drilled three triples in 25 college games and shot 26% from beyond the arc. He also never reached 20 points. His collegiate career high was 15, and he only scored double figures three times.

There will be nights over an 82-game season when the Lakers rest multiple starters or deal with numerous injuries, leading to an increased workload for James. He might have big scoring outputs on those nights, but, like his dad at an early age, he's a pass-first guard who doesn't prioritize scoring.

The USC product is +600 (14% implied probability) to average 10 points per game this season. He must play at least 10 games to qualify, which there's no guarantee he'll do. Most of James' playing opportunities will come in the fourth quarter of blowouts.

The NBA world will witness history when James checks into his first game, and bettors can wager how he'll score his first points.

Method of James' first NBA basket

James has the worst odds to win Rookie of the Year at +25000, but they're still listed so sportsbooks can cash in on bettors' shenanigans. James is a huge attraction for bettors as the son of one of the greatest basketball players ever. He had the longest odds to go No. 1 in the draft but was the most bet player.

Similarly, he's received the most bets to win Rookie of the Year on theScore Bet. He had no chance to go first overall and has none to win ROTY.

The coverage and conversation surrounding James won't decline as the season approaches, and neither will the betting interest.

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.