Despite being a primarily veteran team, the Los Angeles Lakers do have some promising young players on the roster as well. One of those fell into their laps in the 2024 NBA Draft as SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht, a projected top-10 pick, dropped to the Lakers with the 17th overall pick.
Knecht is an older rookie at 23 years old already meaning he should be ready to contribute right away and he has already shown that he could do just that with an impressive Summer League as well as looking comfortable in the preseason.
The Lakers seem to have gotten a steal in the draft and the rest of the league thinks the same as in the annual NBA GM Survey, Knecht was among six players who were tied atop the vote for biggest draft steal:
Which rookie was the biggest steal at where he was selected in the Draft?
T-1. Bub Carrington (14), Washington – 10%
T-1. Devin Carter (13), Sacramento – 10%
T-1. Johnny Furphy (35), Indiana – 10%
T-1. Dalton Knecht (17), L.A. Lakers – 10%
T-1. Terrence Shannon Jr. (27), Minnesota – 10%
T-1. Nikola Topic (12), Oklahoma City – 10%
T-7. Matas Buzelis (11), Chicago – 7%
T-7. Donovan Clingan (7), Portland – 7%
» Also receiving votes: Cam Christie (46), LA Clippers; Isaiah Collier (29), Utah; Zach Edey (9), Memphis; Kyle Filipowski (32), Utah; Jared McCain (16), Philadelphia; Baylor Scheierman (30), Boston; Reed Sheppard (3), Houston; Cody Williams (10), Utah
Knecht also received some votes for rookie who will be the best player in this class in five years:
Which rookie will be the best player in five years?
1. Reed Sheppard, Houston – 43%
2. Stephon Castle, San Antonio – 17%
3. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta – 13%
T-4. Bub Carrington, Washington – 7%
T-4. Alex Sarr, Washington – 7%
» Also receiving votes: Matas Buzelis, Chicago; Donovan Clingan, Portland; Ron Holland II, Detroit; Dalton Knecht, L.A. Lakers
The talent is there from an offensive standpoint, and Knecht has shown the desire to work hard on defense as well. With the Lakers it looks as if he will have the opportunity to contribute right away and be part of the rotation from the beginning and the stage this franchise provides will allow him to show the world just how good he is.
LeBron James: Dalton Knecht ‘ready to go’ for Lakers
One thing that makes life easier for any rookie is being able to play next to superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But players must also earn the trust of those veteran stars and LeBron definitely likes what he has seen so far from the Lakers rookie.
Recently asked about Dalton Knecht, LeBron called him ‘a pro’ and said he is ‘ready to go now’ for the Lakers, something this team could certainly use.
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