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Bryce James' NIL Valuation is Higher Than You Think

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Jan 4, 2025 3:01 PM ET

The college basketball world turned its attention to a three-star recruit with a pretty famous last name this past week.

Bryce James, a 2025 recruit and younger son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, announced his college commitment to perennial powerhouse Arizona. Much like his older brother Bronny, who went to USC last season before being drafted by the Lakers in the second round of this past draft, Bryce's recruitment was pretty quiet. Both On3 and 247Sports reported just three total scholarship offers for the younger James, with interest from USC.

Unlike his brother, who was a five-star recruit and averaged 14 points per game his senior season, Bryce ranks as the No. 204 player in the country in On3's rankings and doesn't have flashy numbers. According to MaxPreps, he is averaging 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game off the bench in the handful of games he's played this season.

However, despite his lower ranking and underwhelming numbers, Bryce still ranks as having one of the top Nil Valuations in all of college athletics, according to On3. The younger James brother projects as the No. 55 earner in all of college sports and No. 5 among high school basketball players, with an estimated value of $1.3 million.

James is the only player in On3's high school basketball rankings to rank within the top 100 of NIL Valuations, but not be ranked as a top 50 recruit. While this may come as a bit of a surprise, as broken down by On3's founder, Shannon Terry, an athlete's value is primarily based on their exposure and social media following.

"NIL Value, on the other hand, measures an athlete’s market value in terms of licensing and sponsorship," wrote Terry. "This value is influenced by on-field performance, media exposure, and social media presence. Typically, only elite national athletes or those with a strong social media following generate significant revenue from brand marketing compared to their Roster Value."

The younger James has the cachet associated with being the son of LeBron James, and has built up quite a social media following with millions of followers on Instagram.

Whether or not he will live up to the hype associated with his name is yet to be seen, but he will have a chance to be coached and developed by one of the best minds in the country in Tommy Llyod.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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