EL SEGUNDO — As Dalton Knecht walked from the NBA draft podium after shaking fingers with NBA commissioner Adam Silver to ESPN’s interview space at Barclays Heart in New York, he revealed his basketball accolades stitched on the within of his swimsuit jacket.
Now, he has yet one more so as to add: the most recent Laker.
The Lakers chosen Knecht with the No. 17 choose within the NBA draft on Wednesday night time.
Knecht, a 23-year-old, 6-foot-5 wing who spent the final season with Tennessee, was anticipated to be chosen within the high 10 by most main pre-draft prognosticators.
However because the draft’s first spherical progressed, and the potential of Knecht falling to the Lakers elevated, the Lakers knew the course they wished to go.
“We might’ve by no means imagined a participant as expert and ideal for our wants can be there for us as Dalton Knecht,” Lakers common supervisor and vp of basketball operations Rob Pelinka mentioned. “We had him as a top-10 participant unanimously throughout our scouting boards.
“I used to be on the SEC Event scouting him extensively. In my thoughts, there is no such thing as a manner a participant like this will likely be obtainable for us to select on draft night time. Throughout the board, simply couldn’t be happier.”
After not receiving any Division I scholarship provides as a senior in highschool in 2019, Knecht began his school basketball profession at Northeastern Junior School (2019-21) and Northern Colorado (2021-23) earlier than taking part in his closing season with the Volunteers.
He was the 2023-24 SEC Participant of the 12 months.
“I’d say simply taking part in with a chip on my shoulder,” Knecht mentioned in New York. “Each time I contact a basketball or stroll right into a health club, I at all times really feel like I bought one thing to show and it doesn’t matter the place I’m at, it’s at all times going to be there and have that chip on my shoulder for feeling like I’ve been underrated my entire life. So it’s going to be one thing that I’ll carry with me for the remainder of my profession.”
Knecht averaged 21.7 factors (45.8% capturing), 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 36 video games with the Volunteers final season. He shot 39.7% from 3-point vary on 6.5 makes an attempt per recreation.
“He’s a three-level scorer, a man that’s going to defend,” Pelinka mentioned. “He’s bodily. He’s athletic, actually a 3-and-D participant, which each and every roster craves. However he’s additionally a very good athlete. He’s bought the flexibility to go off the bounce, assault the rim when groups run him off the road. So, that versatility is de facto onerous to seek out. And we simply assume he matches so properly with our pillar items in [Anthony Davis] and hopefully, if issues work out in free company, with LeBron [James].
“However to have a man that may trigger gravitational pull due to his capturing and likewise while you run shooters across the courtroom like he can do, it morphs the protection. It simply opens up driving lanes. So, there’s simply numerous versatility to his recreation and I feel he provides us a weapon that we presently don’t have on our roster.”
He’s thought of very good at capturing off screens and might gentle it up in a rush, like he did whereas scoring 37 factors towards Purdue in an Elite Eight recreation of the NCAA Event in March. Knecht is taken into account near a completed product who ought to be capable of contribute immediately.
“That’ll finally be a Coach [JJ] Redick query, however I feel our discussions upstairs had been, ‘wow, we simply discovered a participant that we are able to see taking part in on subsequent yr’s crew and having an actual impression,’” Pelinka mentioned. “And that’s thrilling. He has numerous upside left in his recreation.
“After all, his journey, he began out in junior school and made all of it the best way to Tennessee. So at each step, he’s improved and we’ll anticipate that enchancment on the subsequent stage as properly.”
Redick, the Lakers’ new head coach and one of the crucial prolific 3-point shooters in NBA historical past, is aware of a factor or two about find out how to use a shooter.
Pelinka mentioned Redick was already drawing up offensive actions to benefit from Knecht’s skill as a motion shooter.
“That’s actually thrilling,” Knecht mentioned. “At Tennessee, I watched numerous JJ Redick with Coach [Rick] Barnes and simply the best way he strikes and paces himself and was capable of create area. So, listening to that, it’s actually thrilling and it’s going to be actual particular.”
James, who has a Saturday deadline for his participant possibility for the 2024-25 season, beforehand talked about Knecht whereas speaking in regards to the rising recognition of ladies’s school basketball after Tennessee’s match run ended towards Purdue on March 31.
“We watched that Purdue-Tennessee recreation due to Zach Edey and Knecht,” James mentioned after the Lakers’ April 3 highway win towards the Washington Wizards. “Gamers, relying on who they’re, will drive the eye with regards to viewership.”
Knecht was in disbelief when he noticed the clip of James mentioning him.
“Yeah, I keep in mind that clip,” Knecht mentioned. “I awoke and rolled away from bed and I believed it was pretend as a result of tons of individuals had been texting me. I used to be similar to, ‘there’s no manner.’
“And after I watched that video, it simply introduced a smile to my face. And in addition my dad and mom, they referred to as me immediately and informed me about it. In order that’s simply gonna be particular. And it’s gonna be enjoyable simply to be sharing that courtroom with each of them, A.D. and Bron. Bron’s one of many best. So it’s gonna be actual particular.”
The Lakers entered Wednesday with three first-round picks – the one they used to draft Knecht, their 2029 choose and 2031 choose – at their disposal to make use of in a possible commerce. Whereas Pelinka admitted he explored commerce prospects to improve the roster, he mentioned he was happy with how Day 1 of the draft performed out.
“We explored each improve we may to make our crew higher,” Pelinka mentioned. “In case you polled all 30 GMs throughout the league, simply normally, trades have grow to be harder due to the brand new [collective bargaining agreement] system. And so, there’s much less entry, I feel, to creating these large strikes than perhaps there was beneath the previous system.
“However it didn’t maintain us from making an attempt to take a look at every part and methods to place ourselves in methods to be in [a] place to be higher. However even this choose alone, I really feel like provides us an enormous enhance and we’re enthusiastic about it.”
The draft will resume with the second spherical on Thursday, starting at 1 p.m. PT.
The Lakers have the No. 55 choose.