With an important summer ahead of them, the Los Angeles Lakers have work to do to turn their roster around to become a championship contender again in a competitive Western Conference. First up was the NBA Draft, where L.A. picked at No. 17 and landed Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee, who was projected to be a top-10 pick.
Knecht faced a similar situation to the 2023 draft when Cam Whitmore fell to the Lakers but they ultimately decided on Jalen Hood-Schifino. However, L.A. decided to right that wrong by taking the best player available and Knecht could easily provide valuable minutes as he is 23-years-old with a solidified skillset.
For Knecht and the Lakers, Summer League is around the corner with the California Classic kicking off this weekend. Ahead of that, the Lakers have reportedly signed their first-round pick to a rookie contract, per Keith Smith of Spotrac:
According to @KeithSmithNBA, the Lakers have officially signed Dalton Knecht. He will play in Summer League and cannot be traded for 30 days
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) July 2, 2024
For the time being, Knecht is off the trade market, allowing him to focus on his development this offseason. With L.A. trying to win a championship, being able to draft the former SEC Player of the Year who is a more rounded-out prospect than others in his class could help pay dividends immediately.
Now that the dust is settled, general manager Rob Pelinka and the scouting department were able to arguably get the steal of the draft with Knecht. With head coach JJ Redick’s perceived offensive system, he wants to shoot more 3-pointers and Knecht can do that at a high rate as a movement shooter.
Once Summer League concludes, depending on how the North Dakota native stacks up against NBA talent, he could set himself up for an impactful rookie season for a franchise that is trying to win a championship with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Pelicans’ CJ McCollum believes Dalton Knecht has biggest year one impact in draft
In a new CBA that limits teams from being able to spend a ton of money, it places more emphasis on teams to draft and develop talent. Notably, the Lakers have not been deemed a development-focused franchise and only prioritized stars, which seems to have warranted a refreshing organizational shift.
Now that Knecht shockingly fell to the purple and gold, New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum believes he will have the biggest year one impact coming out of the 2024 NBA Draft class.
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