Lakers Fans Will Love Dalton Knecht's Odds to Win Rookie of the Year

Dalton Knecht has the fourth-best odds to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award despite falling out of the lottery on Wednesday night.

Dalton Knecht poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most intriguing storylines of the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft was the fall of reigning SEC Player of the Year Dalton Knecht to the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17.

A projected lottery pick, Knecht slipped out of the lottery and into the hands of a team that already has LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a potential perfect fit for the three-level scorer out of the University of Tennessee.

The 23-year-old fell because of his age, which could have scared away teams that are in rebuilding mode and not ready to win now. The Lakers don't fall into that category.

Right now, Los Angeles is looking to do anything it can to improve the roster around James and Davis, and adding a player who averaged 21.7 points per game last season while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3 is a good way to start.

Following the first round of the draft, the opening odds to win the Rookie of the Year award were released, and Lakers fans should be thrilled with where oddsmakers are projecting their latest draft pick.

Knecht has the same odds to win Rookie of the Year as Reed Sheppard (No. 3), Donovan Clingan (No. 7), Tidjane Salaun (No. 6) and better odds than top-10 picks Cody Williams, Ron Holland, Rob Dillingham and Zach Edey.

NBA Rookie of the Year Odds for 2024-25 Season

• Alexandre Sarr: +350
• Zaccharie Risacher: +450
• Stephon Castle: +700
• Tidjane Salaun: +1200
• Reed Sheppard: +1200
• Donovan Clingan: +1200
• Dalton Knecht: +1200
• Cody Williams: +1400
• Zach Edey: +1400
• Ron Holland: +1500
• Rob Dillingham: +2000
• Matas Buzelis: +2000

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

While Knecht is still behind Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher and Stephon Castle, he's certianly in the mix to win this award in the 2023-24 season. It's unclear how big of a role the former Tennessee star will have, but Knecht's floor spacing and natural scoring ability should allow him to see some time playing off of James, Davis and Austin Reaves in the Lakers' lineup.

Lakers Believe They Got a Steal With Dalton Knecht Pick

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka apparently didn't think that Knecht would be available at No. 17, sharing that he was a top-10 player in this draft in the Lakers' eyes.

Rob Pelinka on Dalton Knecht: “We would have never imagined a player as skilled and perfect for our needs would be there [at 17].” Pelinka added that LAL had Knecht ranked in its top 10 on their draft board. pic.twitter.com/Ax1ieyWjLO

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 27, 2024

This is a positive sign for Knecht's Rookie of the Year stock. Every year, the Rookie of the Year is a tricky market, as it depends a lot on opportunity. Some players may have a ton of talent, but they could land in situations where they don't get a ton of playing time.

With the Lakers potentially looking to deal players like Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell (if he opts in) and others to build their roster, Knecht could have an immediate path to minutes.

It's hard to imagine Pelinka singing the 23-year-old's praises and the Lakers then burying their first-round pick on the bench, but it is worth noting that a much rawer prospect -- Jalen Hood-Schifino -- could not crack the Lakers' rotation in the 2023-24 season.

There's a long offseason ahead that could alter this market based on free agent moves and teams making trades, but Knecht finds himself in a great situation to begin his NBA career.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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