When the 2024 NBA Draft came around, there was some outside noise regarding if the Los Angeles Lakers would trade their No. 17 pick given a need to construct a championship roster. But when L.A. was on the clock, Tennessee’s projected lottery pick Dalton Knecht was available and they decided not to pass up on that opportunity.
Given Knecht’s ability to space the floor, he could become a player who receives some legit minutes this upcoming season. It is also worth mentioning that general manager Rob Pelinka wants to build a program and develop players and while Knecht is 23-years-old, he is someone that falls under that philosophy.
The former SEC Player of the Year could contribute now in his rookie season given his age and lengthy college career. This is a notion New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum believes in when giving his thoughts on Knecht falling to L.A., via ESPN’s First Take:
.@CJMcCollum says Dalton Knecht will "have the biggest impact in year one" with the Lakers ? pic.twitter.com/x382dM0BYW
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 27, 2024
L.A. arguably got the steal of the draft with Knecht since he was projected as a top-10 talent, and hopefully that ends up being the case. While the Lakers and head coach JJ Redick have expressed they looking for two-way players, the North Dakota native could provide some needed scoring.
Before getting ready for next season, Knecht will have to take advantage of the reps he will get in Summer League to prove that he is ready to compete for rotational minutes. It also gives a bit of a storyline to the rest of this offseason to see how he performs in an NBA setting. If all goes well, it could make it hard for Redick to keep him out of his rotation.
Dalton Knecht slipped in draft due to age & defensive concerns
Particularly in NBA Drafts, lottery teams look to take prospects with the highest upside hoping they could become a franchise player. This trend has left four-year college players in the rearview mirror since there is not much to develop.
Connecting it back to the Lakers, there is no time for them to develop an 18 or 19-year-old because they are trying to win a championship with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. So having a lottery talent like Knecht fall to L.A. is the best of both worlds. This left some wondering why he slid to No. 17 and it was speculated that it was due to his age and defensive concerns, which the Lakers didn’t care about.
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