Lakers' Bronny James and Dalton Knecht Both Given Surprising First 2K Ratings

Ricardo Sandoval | Aug 17, 2024

Jul 2, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; From left: Los Angeles Lakers first round draft pick Dalton Knecht (4) and second round draft pick Bronny James (9) pose at a press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2024-25 season with a pair of rookies: Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, and former Tennesee guard Dalton Knecht. 

The Lakers selected Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick and James with the No. 55 overall pick in the second round of the June draft. James will likely spend the majority of his rookie season, if not all, in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. As for Knecht, he could play a pivotal role with the team as they seek title No. 18 this upcoming season. 

Both will likely play different roles; however, they were still provided with their first-ever NBA 2K ratings. Ronnie 2K shared the rookies' ratings via Twitter/X. 

New rookies, new ratings.
Check out the newest NBA Rookie class in NBA 2K25 📈 @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/IpENJ69Xoe

— Ronnie 2K 2K25 (@Ronnie2K) August 16, 2024

Knecht was given a 70 overall rating, while James was given a 68 overall rating. 

James' 68 overall rating is tied with 16 other players for the lowest overall rating among the rookie class. However, he is still only two points behind Knecht. 

James is arguably the most polarizing pick in NBA draft history. He was heavily criticized leading up to the draft and even in July's NBA 2k25 Summer League games in Las Vegas. The NBA world will likely get its first look at the 19-year-old during NBA preseason action. 

Knecht, 23, is as old as a rookie can be. He spent one year as a Tennessee Volunteer before the Lakers selected him as their first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He will likely continue immediately and will have a shot at increasing that 70 rating throughout the season. 

Knecht was projected to be a top pick in the draft but fell due to his age. Still, there's an argument that he could be rated higher than a 70. The rookie guard could score in a variety of ways, is sneaky athletic, and could provide some three-point shooting, something the Lakers desperately need. He showed off his scoring ability during Summer League, and he'll get a chance to do so once again during preseason. 

The NBA 2K25 ratings aren't set in stone. They will change throughout the seasons depending on how well or poorly a player performs. 

The rest of the ratings will be released over the coming days and weeks. The video game will be released on Sept. 6 on any platform. 

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