In 2001, Gilbert Arenas signed a rookie deal that guaranteed him a total of $287,500. Blake Griffin went on television and framed Bronny James’ contract as an $8 million overreach; the number itself had already gone viral before anyone checked whether it was accurate.
That resurfaced clip is now getting corrected in real time. NBA insider Damien Peters fact-checked Blake Griffin’s viral comments about Bronny James’ rookie contract.
“Good thing he only got $4.3 million guaranteed but who cares about facts.”
The correction responded to Griffin’s original comments, made during an appearance discussing the 2024 draft.
“If you can get drafted, go get drafted,” Griffin said. “I have zero issues with him getting drafted at the 55th pick. I have zero issues with the Lakers being like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do this.’ The thing that I think they probably messed up on is — don’t give him $8 million guaranteed.”
Blake Griffin says the Lakers should not have given Bronny James $8,000,000 guaranteed as the 55th pick in the NBA Draft
“If you can get drafted, go get drafted. I have zero issues with him getting drafted at the 55th pick. I have zero issues at the Lakers being like, ‘Yeah,… pic.twitter.com/3RKZLsyRc2
— dank (@cptdankkk) August 31, 2026
“Give him what is normal for that pick,” he continued. “He made 10 times that in NIL. Maybe not 10 times, but he’s made his own money. And he also doesn’t ever have to worry about money. Just give him the normal thing, and you get everybody off his back. Have him play in the G League.”
The actual contract terms tell a different story. Bronny James signed a four-year, $7,895,796 deal with the Lakers in July 2024. Only $4,371,403 of that was guaranteed at signing, not the full $8 million Griffin referenced.
The structure was standard for the era. Fully guaranteed in years one and two, a significant partial guarantee of $1.3 million in year three, and a team option for year four.
His salary progressed from $1.16 million as a rookie to $1.96 million in year two. It reached $2.3 million for the 2026-27 season, a figure that became fully guaranteed according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
The total four-year value Griffin cited was close to accurate. The guarantee figure was not, and that distinction matters, because Griffin’s entire argument was on the idea that a 55th pick received an unusually large guarantee compared to a player of that draft slot.
Why the Guarantee Number Actually Matters for How Bronny’s Lakers Story Gets Told
The difference between $8 million and $4.3 million guaranteed is not a rounding error. It changes the risk the Lakers actually took on Bronny James in July 2024.
An $8 million fully guaranteed contract for a 55th pick would have been a genuinely unusual commitment. All but impossible to walk away from regardless of performance. A $4.3 million guarantee with a partial third-year guarantee and a team option gives the front office guarantees if the player doesn’t develop.
The contract has aged reasonably well against that standard. Bronny played 27 games as a rookie and 42 games in his second season, developing into what several outlets have described as a solid G League contributor with flashes at the NBA level.
With his $2.3 million salary now fully guaranteed for 2026-27, the Lakers have signaled they see enough long-term value to keep him on the roster.