Lakers’ Rookie Dalton Knecht Set to Make Year One Impact

After grabbing 2024’s top slider in Dalton Knecht, the Lakers are set to give him an impact role in his rookie season.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dalton Knecht arrives for the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

At the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht heard name after name before finally hearing his.

After being a projected top-10 pick for the entire back-half of the cycle — reportedly drafting interest from Charlotte as high as No. 6 — it wasn’t until the Lakers at No. 17 that he finally heard his own name.

The slide was perplexing, with draft-night commentators only offering up his 23 year’s of age as the only real qualm among NBA organizations.

Now, Los Angeles has one of the draft’s best and most exciting scorers on hand. And one who could make an impact as early as next year.

With LeBron James likely set to re-sign on another long-term contract — and high-impact players like Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, De’Angelo Russell and more set to return — the team will be looking to contend for the championship next season. And Knecht’s skillset should aid that.

After spending two seasons at JUCO, Knecht made his way to Northern Colorado and then Tennessee, where he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 46% overall and 40% from beyond the arc.

Suffice it to say, Knecht has taken leap after leap, and it’s likely he could do the same in the NBA. With a premier off-ball skillset and plenty of handling and creation to be mixed in, he should be a perfect match with the Lakers.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.