The first day of the 2024 NBA Draft unexpectedly turned into a very successful and exciting one for the Los Angeles Lakers. One player they had serious interest in was Dalton Knecht, an excellent scoring wing out of the University of Tennessee.
Knecht won the SEC Player of the Year award and the Julius Erving Award for being the top small forward in the NCAA this season. He was expected to be a lottery pick and perhaps a top-10 pick, but he fell to the Lakers at No. 17, and they were more than happy to select him there.
General manager Rob Pelinka told the media that the team was surprised Knecht was still available when it was its turn to select. He even said that new head coach JJ Redick instantly started brainstorming ideas of how to utilize the 23-year-old in halfcourt offensive sets.
“He was already at his whiteboard drawing up pindowns and ATOs and actions where he could run a movement shooter off screens,” Pelinka said. “I think his mind is already working on drawing up plays for Dalton.”
Knecht averaged 21.7 points a game on 45.8% shooting from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range this season. He had at least 35 points six times in his 36 games, and in the Elite Eight game versus Purdue University, he exploded for 37 points and hit half of his 3-point attempts.
He may immediately have the opportunity to crack the rotation for a Lakers team that has been starving for high-volume, accurate 3-point snipers.