Lakers’ LeBron James Sends Strong Message to Dalton Knecht

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t made a big splash in the trade market or free agency, so their biggest signing of the offseason could be first-round pick Dalton Knecht. The Tennessee point guard is on the older side for a rookie at 23, so he could be ready to make an impact in his first year.

LeBron James is a player who is really excited to work with Knecht. He had a lot of praise for the young guard.

“Dalton, other than Bronny (James), was my favorite player in college basketball all season long,” James said during a July 6 press conference. “I watched his game all season long. I just loved his shooting ability, his athleticism, his size and the way he played. I always thought his game would translate to the NBA. I didn’t think he would fall off at 17 at all, so I didn’t even think we would have the opportunity to get him, but I’m glad he did.”

Those are strong comments from James. He’s already 39 and likely won’t have many years to play with Knecht, but it’s clear he believes he can make an immediate impact. If he can carve out a spot in the Lakers’ rotation, it would help make up for an offseason that hasn’t featured any notable veteran additions so far.

Rob Pelinks has a very favorable opinion of Dalton Knecht

Many media outlets expected Knecht to be selected in the top 10 of this year’s draft, with The Ringer projecting him as high as No. 8 while ESPN had him as high as No. 6.

The fact that the Lakers drafted him at No. 17 might be a good deal. General manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka explained why he thinks Knecht will be a good pick.

“The SEC Player of the Year, one of the toughest conferences, so his competitive nature stood out,” Pelinka said during his June 26 press conference. “He’s a three-point scorer. A guy who’s going to defend. He’s physical and athletic, really a three-pointer and defensive player, which is what every team is looking for. He’s also a really good athlete. At the combine, he had a 39-inch vertical. So he has the ability to rebound and attack the basket when teams take him off the line.”

“That versatility is really hard to find. We just think he fits right in with our pillars with (Anthony Davis), and hopefully if things work out with LeBron, he does. Having a guy that’s going to have a gravitational pull because of his shooting, and also when you run shooters down the court like he can, it transforms the defense and just opens up driving lanes. There’s just a lot of versatility in his game, and I think he gives us a weapon that we don’t have on our roster right now.”

Dalton Knecht has a difficult start to the Summer League

While hopes are high for Knecht, he hasn’t had the best start to the NBA Summer League season. In two games, he’s shot 2-of-15 from the field and has 24 points overall.

Fortunately, this is the time of year when rookies can iron out those kinks and get more comfortable with their new team. He hasn’t taken Summer League by storm yet, but there are still plenty of games to play. If he can’t turn things around, the Lakers may have to work him slowly on the court once the regular season begins.