The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2024 NBA Draft with two draft picks and instead of trading them they stood pat and took Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht at No. 17 and USC guard Bronny James at No. 55.
The Lakers were reportedly targeting a big man with the first-round pick but took the opportunity to select Knecht, who general manager Rob Pelinka revealed the organization had a top-10 grade on. Meanwhile, Bronny was a no-brainer pick for Los Angeles late in the second round as they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pair him with his father LeBron James.
Knecht is arguably the most NBA-ready prospect in his draft class as he brings outside shooting, shotmaking and off-ball movement ability from day one. All those skills fit perfectly into the type of offensive system that new head coach JJ Redick wants to run. In fact, a popular pro comp for Knecht is Reddick as the former does a great job navigating the floor to get open for outside shots.
James is much more of a project at this stage of his playing career, but he’s got the tools and intangibles that every team looks for in a role player. While Bronny is expected to spend most of his time down in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, he should still get a chance to play alongside his dad at some point during the 2024-25 season.
Both rookies figure to be a part of the long-term plan for the organization, especially after general manager Rob Pelinka emphasized the importance of developing talent to curtail the punitive restrictions of the new CBA. Player development and nailing draft picks is more important that ever, but there’s optimism that both Knecht and Bronny will become contributors for years to come.
The Lakers scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. PT at the UCLA Health Training Center to announce Knecht and James as the new members of the franchise.
Where to watch Dalton Knecht and Bronny James’ Lakers introductory press conference
Delton Knecht and Bronny James’ press conference will be broadcasted live on the Lakers’ YouTube page as well as Spectrum SportsNet.
While the rookies deserve their moment in the spotlight, there will surely be questions for Pelinka about the lack of activity during the opening days of free agency given the pressure to add win-now talent now. Either way though, it should be a great day for Knecht and James.
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