Bronny James Rumors: Lakers 'Not Considering' LeBron's Son With No. 17 Draft Pick

Bronny James may not be destined to begin his NBA career for the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Friday's episode of The Woj Pod, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said that NBA teams, including the Lakers, don't view taking James in the draft as the key to signing his father, LeBron James, and that Los Angeles is not considering him with its first-round pick

"The Lakers, to my understanding, they're not considering Bronny James at No. 17," Wojnarowski said. "There's no reason to take him at 17. If you wanted to take him earlier than 55, you could move up some places but you are just giving away value."

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Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has James going to the Lakers at No. 55 in his latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft. That seems like an option that Wojnarowski would agree with, and the Lakers could instead use the first-round selection on a player that is deemed more NBA-ready.

James is coming off his lone season at USC and was not a very impactful player for the Trojans. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games for the Trojans, making six starts. His season was delayed due to offseason heart surgery.

He worked out for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns after a strong combine, turning down multiple other teams in the process. That would signal that those two franchises are his most likely destinations, and the two teams have a combined three draft picks in June.

Bronny James could hear his named called by at least pick No. 55, but it doesn't appear that the Lakers will feel the need to ensure his services with its first-round pick.

The 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 26-27 in Brooklyn, NY.