Lakers Draft Dalton Knecht (Wing, Tennessee) With the 17th Pick... Steal of the Draft?

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Last season, the Lakers had opportunities to draft players in the first round that were projected to help an NBA team right away. They had a chance to draft the "lottery guy who falls." They did neither.

This year, the same opportunity presented itself, this time with the same player. As names went off the board, University of Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, one of college basketball's best scorers in his only season with the Volunteers, was still hanging out in the audience. Projected as a lottery pick for most of the last couple months, Knecht was still available when the Lakers made their selection at 17. While nobody was really talking about him as an option—Rob Pelinka said the team had the SEC Player of the Year projected into the top 10—LA jumped at the opportunity.

Knecht is a great off-ball offensive player, described by many in the draft as one of the most NBA ready players available. He can score at multiple levels and should be the exact type of offensive player who fits in well with a team anchored by gravity-inducing/attention-demanding players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. How well he develops defensively is a question, and teams may have passed on Knecht due to his age -- 23 at the start of the season. Young for normal people, old for NBA prospects.

That limits his upside, potentially, but the Lakers aren't looking for him to develop into a star, just a high end rotation piece with a valuable skill set. His potential to play right away has far more value than hypothetical upside three or so years down the road.

Overall, the Lakers (as you'd expect) say they're thrilled. Certainly the pick will grade out well, just because of the perceived value. But in terms of a pick that makes sense for where the Lakers are, it makes sense, too.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers select Dalton Knecht, from Tennessee.

SEGMENT 2: Good pick? Bad pick?

SEGMENT 3: What happens next?

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