A lot of privilege comes with LeBron James‘s name and his sons know that. Both the children have successfully landed lucrative NIL deals, and the younger one, Bryce, is already making millions. He is just 16. While it may not be surprising, Bryce’s income tax on NIL deals is rather mouth-gaping. It surpasses the salary of the 2024 WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick. By what margin, you ask? Let’s find out.

Bryce, as a high school student, is valued at $1.2 million with his NIL while Caitlin Clark has signed a 4-year $338,000 contract with the Indiana Fever. This brings her salary to $76,000, though it is expected to grow as much as $84,000. Of course, the number is to be more than average in the league, yet it isn’t enough to equalize the $144,560 paid by the 16-year-old as tax. (The tax amount was calculated using the California Income Tax Calculator)

Notably, Bryce is a 3-star prospect and the No. 102 player in the 2025 high school class. Caitlin Clark, on the other hand, is the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick and a boon for the league, according to many. The 22-year-old has broken viewership records consistently and massively drawn media attention throughout her presence in the WNBA. No doubt, Clark, along with Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, and Rickea Jackson, tied for the highest WNBA rookie in 2024.

Yet, one can imagine how the WNBA players are missing out financially when compared to the NBA. In fact, in a 2022 interview, Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum stated, “We are not asking to get paid what the men get paid. We’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.”

As their demands have fallen on deaf ears, matters are now taken into their own hands. Consider the following:

• Some WNBA players have been doing a lot to help younger players financially. Take WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier as examples. Their basketball league- Unrivaled- has a big investor lineup. The league aims to offer the highest average pay possible.
• There are leagues that recognize talent and the WNBA might have tough competition. Would it be surprising to know that the BIG3 basketball organization offered Clark millions to play for them? As shared by Ice Cube on X, the Indiana Fever player was offered $5 million by BIG3. Her response to the offer is not known.

David Berri- a professor of economics at Southern Utah University- stated that WNBA players received only about 10% of the league’s revenue, whereas NBA players get 50% of their league’s revenue. This explains why many players participate in overseas leagues during WNBA’s off-season. They tend to earn a lot there. Remember how Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in 2022? Well, she was there to play in the WNBA’s offseason.

But coming back to Clark, this season six TV networks recorded the most viewed games of the league. Five of these were during Fever’s games; the highest being 2.1 million. In short, all these factors make Clark worthy of a lucrative NBA-like package.

Caitlin Clark vs. the James boys

As per the reports, Caitlin Clark can make up to $3 million through her endorsements and sponsorships. She has already signed an 8-year, $28 million deal with Nike, which is said to be unprecedented. As for college reception, the 22-year-old Fever’s star was one of the top-paid college athletes, achieving impressive feats at a young age. According to NIL Valuation, Clark ranked 4th, right below Olivia Dunne, with $3.1 million. Her NIL valuation was $1.9 million more than Bryce James, who sits at No. 14 with his $1.2 million.

While Bryce James’ valuation, considering his age, is pretty impressive, it is not enough to beat Clark. This is where LeBron James’ older son comes in. Bronny James had an NIL valuation of $4.9 million. While it has consistently fallen because of his health issues and recent performances, his current NIL sits at $3.2 million.

But moving on, the 6’6″ high school shooting guard, Bryce, has a crystal clear aim to achieve as a better prospect. ESPN ranks him as the No. 22 player in the state of California while also standing in the middle of offers from Duquesne and Ohio State; providing a chance to get into his preferred college. In addition, he might also revise his NIL deals, considering the fact that he was left out of the USA’s roster because of his age.

Overall, being a star kid definitely adds to the popularity, as both sons of the James family are already ruling the charts in terms of income. But the question is: as time rolls, will the James siblings find their way into the NBA? Stay tuned to find out!

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.