Why didn't the Lakers draft Bronny James in Round 1 of the NBA Draft?

Bronny James has been the subject of more NBA Draft discussion this season than No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from France. All the chatter didn't result in him being taken on Wednesday night.

The fringe NBA prospect is the son of LeBron James. That legacy might be enough to tempt a team to draft him even if the bonus of landing LeBron in free agency wasn't a major undercurrent.

Despite plenty of conversations about teams like the Suns enticing LeBron to join them by drafting his son, it's become clear the Los Angeles Lakers are the one and only draft destination for the former Trojan.

So why didn't Bronny hear his name called when the Lakers picked at No. 17?

It's simple, Bronny James didn't warrant a first round NBA Draft selection

No offense to Bronny, but he couldn't carve out a starting role on a disappointing USC Trojans team as a freshman. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 appearances.

Coming back from a terrifying heart condition was a triumph, but that doesn't make him more deserving of a Night 1 selection than any of the other NBA hopefuls out there who also have to wait.

That's not to say Bronny can't prove himself as an NBA-level talent. He has plenty of the skills necessary to have a long career, especially as a defensive specialist.

Here's what FanSided's Chris Kline had to say about Bronny's greatest strength:

His case, for now, is built around defense. James is a proper stopper on the perimeter, displaying excellent lateral quickness, strength, and activity at the point of attack. James can fight through screens and muck up a ball-handler's airspace. He's unafraid to get in a stance and take the pit bull approach, showing his hands and operating with impressive physicality.

Realistically, Bronny should have gone back for another year of development in college, whether at USC or somewhere else. Still the clock is ticking on his window to play with his father, so into the draft he went.

Moreover, the Lakers knew that no one other team would want to drop a first-round pick on Bronny if it wouldn't bring LeBron to their city. So, they invested their first-round pick in Dalton Knecht, who Kline projected as the No. 10 pick in the draft.

With the Knecht pick and Bronny likely following in the second round, the Lakers can have their cake and eat it too.