Where does Dalton Knecht fit with the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Tennessee basketball superstar Dalton Knecht on Wednesday night with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Knecht was expected to be a lottery pick, possibly a top-ten pick. He fell all the way to the Lakers at No. 17 largely because of his age. NBA scouts, executives, or general managers didn’t want to draft Knecht because they thought 23 was too old.
The Lakers disagreed and continued to prioritize versatile young playmakers under first-year head coach JJ Redick, who was introduced as the next Lakers head coach on Monday.
Redick emphasized player development in his opening press conference and made it clear the Lakers would push for younger players with their draft picks rather than trading for veterans throughout the draft process.
He’s also looking to develop an offense with playmakers throughout the floor, creating meaningful and efficient offensive possessions with a restrictive defense. That’s one thing Knecht is used to from his lone college season on Rocky Top.
Vols head coach Rick Barnes prioritizes instilling a restrictive defense and has recently prioritized offensive efficiency as well. Knecht’s three-point shooting, athleticism, length, and playmaking ability set him up to be a strong player for the Lakers under Redick.
While the Lakers still have veterans LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the youth movement continues in L.A. Knecht will join other young pieces: Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Austin Reaves.
The Lakers’ young playmakers have shown promise over the past couple of seasons, and the addition of Knecht could help the Lakers continue to compete for an NBA Championship while acquiring younger pieces for the future.
Knecht will be a great player in Redick’s system. ESPN has Knecht as the third shooting guard and small forward after draft night.
Austin Reeves will still be the Lakers’ starting shooting guard, with Gabe Vincent running as the No. 2 shooting guard. Knecht will have the opportunity to compete for that backup spot and possibly a sixth-man role if everything works out this offseason.
LeBron James is still the starting small forward, with Cam Reddish as the second-string small forward. Depending on how the depth chart falls this summer and throughout the fall before the season begins, Knecht could compete for the No. 2 shooting guard or small forward spot.
The Lakers are excited to bring Knecht to L.A. General Manager Rob Polinka said he would have taken Knecht if he had a higher pick in the draft and couldn’t be happier with the pick.
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The 2024-25 NBA season is expected to tip off on October 22. The schedule will be released between August 16 and 20, with the league’s schedule release being pushed further into August.