In the eyes of most NBA Draft experts, Dalton Knecht was a likely top-10 pick and at worst a lottery selection. So for him to still be on the board when the Los Angeles Lakers got on the clock with the 17th overall pick was a shock to many and they made sure he didn’t fall any further.
Knecht was a unanimous top-10 player on the Lakers’ draft board and the team was actually denied a workout with him as his representatives didn’t believe the wing would fall that far. But there is no telling how the draft will play out and Knecht is happy to be in purple and gold.
Of course any time a player falls in the draft, they can use that as extra motivation to prove their doubters wrong and Knecht is no different, though he is more focused on the fact that he landed in the right spot with the Lakers.
“I would say of course I know all the players and teams but I’m just excited to be here in the right place,” Knecht said at his introductory press conference. “I’m excited just to get to work here and go out and compete.”
Knecht took a long path to the NBA, spending two years in junior college and another two years at Northern Colorado before transferring to Tennessee last year as a fifth-year senior. A later growth spurt certainly helped his status as a draft prospect as did dominating in the SEC last year, but the Lakers rookie always believed in himself.
“I feel like I’ve always had that. Ever since I touched a basketball, I knew that I could do it, it was just a matter of how,” Knecht added. “My journey is not like everybody else’s but that’s OK, everybody has a journey of their own. So just creating my path is something special and a lot of kids will look up to it. So that’s really cool to wrap my head around.”
Now that he has made it to the NBA, the work really begins. At 23 years old, Knecht is not a developmental project and is expected to contribute immediately as a sharp-shooting wing who can help space the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But that kind of work ethic is something Knecht has shown his entire basketball career and that is sure to continue with the Lakers.
Dalton Knecht and Bronny James named to Lakers Summer League roster
Lakers fans will get their first look at Dalton Knecht as well as second-round pick Bronny James as they were both named on the Summer League roster that will compete at the California Classic as well as the Las Vegas Summer League.
Knecht and James, as well as last year’s second-round pick Maxwell Lewis and big man Colin Castleton, were all named to the roster. Last year’s first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, however, is not on the roster as he is still recovering from injury.
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