Potential Detroit Pistons Draft Picks Earns Touted College Award

Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht will earn an NCAA honor.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) scores on the transition in the second half of the NCAA Tournament / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

When the regular season ends this week, the Detroit Pistons will begin preparing for the NBA draft. With one of the worst records in the league, they’re going to have some of the highest odds of securing a top pick again.

Over the past few weeks, multiple different prospects have been named to the Pistons in mock drafts. Among those mocked to Detroit is Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht. Following his senior season, the sharpshooting forward earned one of college basketball’s most respected awards.

On Saturday, news emerged that Knect had won the Julius Erving Award. The award is given out every year to the top small forward in college basketball.

Dalton Knecht wins the Julius Erving award for the nation’s top Small Forward 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AFwifZ1Ejf

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 6, 2024

Knect spent his first two years of college at a junior college before eventually transferring to Northern Colorado. He’d then transfer again, going to Tennessee for his senior season.

In his final year of college, Knect posted averages of 21.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.8 APG. He was also an efficient three-point shooter, converting 39.7% of his attempts on high volume.

Knect could make sense for the Pistons in the draft, but it depends on where they end up in the lottery. If they get the first or second pick, they might be better off taking a prospect with a higher upside. That said, a case could be made for the forward prospect at the back end of the top five.

While there isn’t anything flashy about his game, Knect fills a much-needed role for the Pistons. He is a wing player with size and three-point shooting ability. Securing a deadeye shooter is crucial for Detroit, who was one of the worst perimeter shooting teams this season.

With the Pistons core slowly starting to come together, drafting for fit isn’t the worst idea in a draft class that has been labeled lackluster.